Gable Steveson: Tom Aspinall vacating UFC title 'put another fire' into Jon Jones - MMA Junkie
Gable Steveson thinks Jon Jones fights again.
Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) retired seven months after he retained his UFC heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in November 2024. He removed himself from the drug-testing program, but returned shortly after when the White House event was announced.
He did not get his wish of competing at UFC Freedom 250 in June, but Jones remains in the testing pool and has been tested three times this year. With Tom Aspinall vacating his UFC heavyweight title due to ongoing complications with his vision, Ciryl Gane is expected to be promoted as undisputed champion. The frontrunners to challenge him first are Josh Hokit and Alex Pereira.
"I think Ciryl Gane deserves it," Steveson told RMC Sport Combat. "He's a fantastic fighter, and heβs a guy that goes out there and heβs beating everybody besides literally the infinity stones of fighting, (Francis) Ngannou, Jon, and who else? Tom, I believe so, also. So I would love to see Ciryl Gane do his thing and whatever works for him, works for him.
"I've heard rumblings of Josh Hokit. That would be a fantastic fight. Josh is another fast guy that can keep up with the pace of Gane, and so maybe Josh Hokit can go out there and do his thing. But I'm not sure. Whoever they pick will be a fantastic fight and hopefully it'll work out soon."
When Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) was interim champion, Jones seemed disinterested in unifying his heavyweight title against him, and preferred a mega fight with Pereira. Aspinall was eventually promoted to undisputed champion when Jones eventually retired.
But now that Aspinall is out of the picture, could Jones return? His training partner Steveson likes those chances.
"I think Jon would like to come back, also," Steveson said. "Maybe seeing this belt open up put another fire into him. Jon's my training partner everyday in Albuquerque, so I've seen what he can still do, and I know he can do it at the highest level, and maybe his time will come again, and I think it will."
