Jones Floats Pereira Fight, Then Retires
Jon Jones stopped Stipe Miocic with a spinning back kick and punches at 4:29 of Round 3 at UFC 309. Before the fight, Jones discussed a possible bout with Alex Pereira and showed little interest in facing interim champion Tom Aspinall.
What happened after the 2024 comments
Jones announced his retirement in June 2025, and the UFC said he had vacated the heavyweight title, elevating interim champion Tom Aspinall to undisputed champion. UFC’s announcement records that change. Jones later explored a return for the UFC White House card but was not booked. In an October 10, 2026 interview, he said he would “more than likely” not fight again while leaving the door open; MMA Fighting reported his latest comments.
Pereira fight remains unbooked
The original remarks showed Jones’s preference at the time for a potential Pereira matchup, but they did not amount to a booked fight. As of October 14, 2026, no Jones–Pereira bout had been announced. The 2024 discussion of Aspinall, Pereira, and Jones’s future should be read as pre-UFC 309 speculation, alongside the later retirement and comeback comments.
