Jon Jones and his team finally began conversations with Dana White and the matchmakers over a 2025 return to the Octagon. And this time, it isn’t just an internet rumor. This major news came to light in a recent interview where Jones gave this massive UFC career update. In a recent interview with the Schmo, he revealed that he is in talks with the UFC head honcho to discuss his upcoming fight.

The UFC heavyweight champion said, “So, right now, the UFC and I, we’re in negotiations. We’re in talks to see what happens next. I’m back in the gym; I’m training; I feel really great. The team supports me, and they’re behind me. We’ll just be ready for whatever opportunity comes our way.” When asked whether this massive return would be in 2025, he said, “Yes, yes, I will be competing in 2025, more than likely.”

It is worth noting that ‘Bones’ wanted to retire after his fight against Stipe Miocic. However, after successfully defending the UFC heavyweight title against Miocic in his return, the champion decided not to hang up his gloves just yet. Instead, he hinted that he would be fighting someone the fans want him to fight, and with the current wave of MMA fans wanting him to fight Aspinall, it seems like the British fighter could attain his title unification fight after all.

But what about Alex Pereira? Jon Jones has often voiced a strong desire to face UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, noting that Pereira’s star power might drive large pay-per-view sales.

Well, it seems like ‘Bones’ is tired of hearing allegations about him ‘ducking’ a fight against Tom Aspinall. Also, according to a former UFC fighter, Alex Pereira won’t be as big of a draw as Jones expects.

Former UFC fighter debunks Jon Jones’ myth

In a recent appearance on Michael Bisping’s YouTube podcast, former UFC fighter Paul Felder dropped a major verdict on the prospective Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira fight. While ‘Bones’ constantly claims that fighting ‘Poatan’ would be a huge draw because of the Brazilian’s star power and fandom, according to Felder, this is far from the truth. He said on the podcast, “Anytime people start to doubt if Jon could beat this guy—that’s what draws numbers. Name-wise, maybe Alex Pereira has done a little bit more, but I think fans know how that fight’s going to go.”

Felder further added that he doesn’t think that the light heavyweight champion could handle the wrestling skills of Jon Jones. On the contrary, Tom Aspinall is a true heavyweight, according to the former lightweight. But even if the Pereira fight doesn’t fall into his lap, chances are that ‘Bones’ might still reject a fight against the interim champion. But why? Well, that’s because Jon Jones now expects significant compensation from Dana White for fighting Aspinall. As he said, “If I give him the opportunity to fight me, I want to be well compensated.” What are your thoughts about Paul Felder’s remark? Who will Jon Jones fight next? Let us know in the comments.