Jon Jones may soon return to the UFC octagon, at least that's what Gable Stevenson believes. Retired since June 2025, the former champion has dedicated his attention to the career of the Olympic champion, whom he follows daily in training. Even so, 'Bones' continues to flirt with a possible return to MMA, a scenario that, according to Stevenson, may have gained new momentum after Tom Aspinall relinquished the heavyweight title (up to 120,2 kg).
In an interview with 'RMC Sportcombat', Gable Stevenson stated that Jones still demonstrates the ability to compete at a high level and believes that the fact that the heavyweight title is vacant may have rekindled the former champion's desire to return to the octagon. The fighter also highlighted that he closely follows Jones' performance in training in Albuquerque and believes that he may still have another opportunity to compete at the highest level in the UFC.
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“I think Jon would also like to come back, maybe seeing that belt become vacant has rekindled something within him. Jon is my training partner every day in Albuquerque, so I see what he can still do and I know he can compete at the highest level. Maybe his time will come again, and I think it will,” said Gable Stevenson.
Tom Aspinall is no longer the UFC champion.
Although he wasn't defeated, Tom Aspinall decided to relinquish his heavyweight title. The Briton last fought against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in October 2025. The fight ended in a no contest after Aspinall suffered an accidental eye poke during the bout.
The incident caused Aspinall to withdraw from the fight and subsequently undergo two surgeries. Even after the procedures, the former champion has still not been able to completely resolve the double vision problem caused by the injury.
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