With UFC 309 just around the corner, Jon Jones and rising star Bo Nickal recently gave fans a glimpse of an unexpected, playful showdown. What was it? Just two fighters known for their wrestling skills having a quick, light-hearted grappling exchange. But what began as a casual interaction quickly stirred up talks among the online community about Jones possibly risking an injury before his showdown with Stipe Miocic.

In a video shared on Instagram by TNT Sports captioned, “Jon Jones and Bo Nickal had a little wrestle”, the two fighters take up a playful wrestling stance and lock up. “You feel strong, bro,” Jones remarked as he grappled with Nickal. But the middleweight star, clearly impressed yet cautious, joked back, “I can’t let you get too close.” A reference to Chael Sonnen’s iconic moment from his scuffle against Wanderlei Silva during The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3? Possibly!

The two continued their banter, with Jones checking in about Nickal’s weight and Nickal responding, “Good. I was, like, 10 this morning. You’re probably enjoying just doing your thing.” While Jones is set to defend his undisputed heavyweight crown against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, Nickal will be taking on Paul Craig in what will be the 3-time NCAA Division 1 champion’s fourth appearance inside the UFC Octagon.

To the casual eye, it was just two athletes catching up and testing each other’s strength but the online community questioned the timing of this exchange, and here’s a look at what the netizens had to say.

Jon Jones and Bo Nickal grappling before UFC 309 doesn’t impress fans

For many fans, this wasn’t just a friendly exchange—it was risky behavior. Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic were originally scheduled to clash at UFC 295, but due to a torn pectoral tendon suffered by ‘Bones’ during training, the bout had to be delayed till UFC 309. In the video of the injury, Jones could be seen wrestling a training partner before he stops and grabs his chest. As such, while the interaction with Bo Nickal might have been playful, the concern from the fandom definitely holds some weight!

“Don’t let him get injured days before the fight”

But some were more interested in taking shots at Jones for avoiding a fight with Tom Aspinall. In a recent interview with Kevin Iole, Jones had stated when asked if he’d face the interim heavyweight champion after UFC 309, “More than likely not, I feel like Tom Aspinall is… I don’t want to say nobody, but he just hasn’t proven anything. He hasn’t done anything.” This led to a firestorm amongst the fan base with ‘Bones’ being hit by calls of ‘ducking’ Aspinall from the fans and many prominent voices in the world of mixed martial arts.

“running away from tom that is”

Other fans thought the interaction was especially awkward but Bo Nickal has been a vocal supporter of Jon Jones leading up to UFC 309. In a recent interview with Demetrious Johnson on the ‘Mighty Cast’, Nickal had made his pick for the heavyweight clash by stating, “I think that, you know, if I had to pick, who’s gonna win the fight, I would say Jon, just because of the long layoff for Stipe.”

“That was an awkward interaction lmao”

Some fans pointed out that this is nothing more than Jones testing himself against a middleweight. A possible jab at his recent claims of wanting to fight Alex Pereira, who moved up to light-heavyweight from 185-lbs? What do you think?

“Nothing to see here, just Jones challenging another middleweight……”

To others, the scene felt oddly familiar, stirring memories of Jones’s long-standing rivalry with Daniel Cormier. According to a previous interview with Ariel Helwani, ‘Bones’ had confessed that his ‘beef’ with Cormier started because “And I was like ‘I bet you that I could take you down.’ It was my way of trying to develop a new friendship, and he just took it so seriously, and he was just so offended that I didn’t know who he was. And from that moment on he decided that there was a beef between us.”

“This what Jon tried to do with DC but DC took it as disrespect”

In conclusion, as UFC 309 approaches, Jon Jones’ playful exchange with Bo Nickal has fans talking, and not all are reassured. While the wrestling match seemed harmless, many wonder if Jones is once again toeing the line of risk just days before a massive title bout. For a fighter who’s recently come back from a serious injury, was this friendly spar the best move? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!