Jul 16, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jon Jones on the red carpet before the ESPYS at The Dolby Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Jon Jones Coming Back? ‘Bones’ Explains His Decision To Unretire After Just 2 Weeks

Two division champion Jon Jones details his decsion to unretire from the sport he had retired for just 2 weeks!

Jul 16, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jon Jones on the red carpet before the ESPYS at The Dolby Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jon Jones has never been one to follow the normal path. The former light heavyweight king turned heavyweight champion has made headlines for everything from his fights to his legal troubles. But his latest move might be the most surprising yet. Just two weeks after announcing his retirement and giving up the UFC heavyweight title, Jones has decided to come back.

This might actually be the shortest retirement in UFC history. Most fighters take months or even years to decide they want to return. Jones managed to do it in less than fourteen days (announced his retirement on 21 June and decided to come back on 4th July) . The MMA world was still processing his initial retirement announcement when he dropped the bombshell that he was coming back. Even by Jones’ standards, this was fast.

Jon Jones Reveals Why He Chose To Unretire

Speaking at the ESPN ESPY Awards, Jones finally explained what changed his mind so quickly. It wasn’t another big payday or a grudge match that brought him back. Instead, it was something much bigger than the octagon. President Donald Trump announced plans for a UFC card at the White House next year as part of America’s 250th birthday celebration. When Jones heard about this opportunity, everything changed.

“I felt like I was at a place where I’ve done it all in the MMA space and felt like there wasn’t too many more challenges for me…Donald Trump mentioned that he wanted to have a fight at the White House Garden, and that just seems like such a huge opportunity. I’m a very proud American…I can’t call it service, but just to be able to entertain the country and the world at this level at the White House. It just means the world to me. So I’m back.”

Jones described this as more than just another fight. He talked about wanting to do something beyond championships and money. The White House event represents something special for him as a proud American. And fighting at the White House would be his gift to America and the world.

UFC President Dana White has big plans for this White House card. He has promised to deliver the best and most anticipated pay-per-view ever for July 4th next year. Can Jones vs Tom Aspinall be the main event he has in mind? The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Now with Aspinall as champion and Jones back, fans can finally get the answer to their question: Who is the best fighter at Heavyweight?

(Image Credit: Kirby Lee – Imagn Images)

Jon Jones

UFC White House

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!