Jon Jones announced on Twitter on Monday that he had relinquished the UFC light heavyweight title he had held and held for nearly a decade.
“It’s officially underway,” Jones said wrote the UFC light heavyweight title. “It’s been a great trip, sincere thanks to all my competition, Ufc and most importantly your fans.”
In a subsequent tweet, Jones wrote that he will be negotiating with the UFC about a potential fight at heavyweight.
“Just had a really positive chat with @Ufc,” Jones wrote. “Sounds like there will be negotiations for my next fight at heavyweight. All the good news, the weight gain process is starting.”
Jones and the UFC have been in the public eye over money since May, when Jones expressed interest in moving to heavyweight to fight bang bangout artist Francis Ngannou. However, Monday’s tweet indicates that there has been progress.
Whatever happens, Jones wrote that he will remain in the USADA drug testing pool “for probably the next half year or so.” Leaving that pool means a fighter has retired or passed away from the UFC. To compete again after leaving the pool, a fighter must re-enter it and be screened for drugs for a period of six months.
Since 2011, Jones has only led the UFC division for light heavyweight. He was the youngest fighter to win a UFC title when he won the belt at 23 years old. Jones, now 33, has the most consecutive lightweight title fight in UFC history (14), and the lightest heavyweight title defense in UFC history (11).
Jones (26-1, 1 NC) is probably the greatest fighter in MMA history. He has the longest undefeated streak in UFC history (18) and his only career loss came in 2009 through disqualification. Jones ’11 total title defense teamed him up with Demetrious Johnson for most title defenses in the promotion. Jones also owns wins over former champions such as Daniel Cormier, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida.
The only time Jones did not hold the 2011 lightweight UFC heavyweight title was when Cormier held it. Jones was stripped of his belt in 2015 after a misdemeanor hit-and-run arrest. He beat Cormier in 2017 to win back the title, but the match was reversed after a no-match by a Jones positive drug test for a steroid metabolite. The title went back to Cormier.
That was Jones’ second suspension of anti-doping, although both times USADA found that he did not intentionally ingest a banned substance.
In his last fight, Jones beat Dominick Reyes in what was a controversial decision at UFC 247 in February. UFC President Dana White has said that Reyes deserved a rematch after a match that many thought Reyes won. Jones tweeted last Saturday night that he intended to go for heavyweight, following Stipe Miocic’s successful heavyweight title defense against Cormier.
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