Morning Report: Ben Askren sets odds of Jon Jones fighting again at 'less than 50 percent'

02/20/2025 08:00 AM

Jon Jones doesn't have a fight on the horizon and Ben Askren is warning fans not to get their hopes up.

It's only been three months since Jones most recently competed in the main event of UFC 309, a headlining bout that saw him finally defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic to complete a long-awaited booking few fans were actually asking for. Unsurprisingly, Jones made short work of the 42-year-old Miocic, who immediately retired afterward.

Most of the chatter preceding and following UFC 309 swirled around the question of why Jones was not instead facing interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. That bout appears no closer to coming to fruition and Askren is willing to wager that no Jones bouts are forthcoming, period.

"If there were Kalshi odds on does Jon Jones fight again, I believe it would be less than 50 percent," Askren said, speaking on Daniel Cormier's YouTube. "I think it would be less than 50 percent, I think it would be somewhere around 20, 30 percent that he fights again."

"I would say if there's odds, I think it's less than half that he ever fights again," he reiterated.

Though Jones has expressed little interest in unifying the heavyweight titles with Aspinall, he has said on multiple occasions he is willing to entertain a superfight with fellow UFC champion Alex Pereira, currently atop the light heavyweight division that Jones previously ruled for the better part of a decade. Pereira has become one of the promotion's biggest stars and a matchup with Jones would undoubtedly generate widespread interest.

The other fighter frequently mentioned along with Jones is former UFC heavyweight champion and current PFL star Francis Ngannou. Both discussed fighting each other in the past, but since they're now with different promotions, the possibility of the two ever fighting is remote.

"That one ain't happening," Askren said. "Obviously, I was outside of the UFC for a long time and I always had the desire, yes I would love to fight these guys, but I'm under no delusion that Dana White is going to do some type of co-promote or something because he just doesn't do that. So the idea that Francis is going to fight Jon, that's a pipe dream."

Another reason Askren doesn't expect Ngannou to face Jones is that he'd have to return to the UFC to do it, and he likely isn't motivated to do so after leaving as the promotion's champion in 2023 and then signing a lucrative deal with PFL.

"The one thing I wanted to do, I wanted to try to be the best in the world and I knew I couldn't do that without fighting the right people," Askren said. "Francis has already achieved that, so maybe he doesn't feel the need and Francis, I don't think he's lying, I don't know that it's debatable, but I believe he made significantly more money doing the boxing fights outside of the UFC.

"So if you've already proven you're the best in the world and listen, there was this Jon Jones thing because Jon Jones didn't fight for a four-year window or whatever, but yeah, you already proved you're the best in the world, go make a whole bunch more money. I think that's great, but if he does want to fight Jon Jones he's going to have to come back."

TOP STORIES

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Clean. Kade Ruotolo wants to see the grappling world clean up its act.

Final.Anthony Smithexplains his surprise atZhang Mingyang being his final opponent and how he's feeling ahead of retirement.

Happy Trails.The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 winner Warlley Alvesparts ways with UFC after a 10-year run.

VIDEO STEW

Reaction to Thursday's big announcements.

MMA Fighting's Damon Martin chats with PFL fighter—for now—Aaron Pico and grappling ace Kade Ruotolo.

Beterbiev-Bivol 2 open workouts.

Canon events.

Bo knows.

FLAVOR IN YOUR EAR

No Bets Barred. Jed Meshew is joined once again by the Action Network's Billy Ward bring you the best bets for a UFC Seattle card headlined by Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong, a bout that could determine the future of the former two-division champion.

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Leon Edwards (22-4, 1 NC) vs. Sean Brady (17-1);UFC London, March 22

Alexander Volkanovski (26-4) vs. Diego Lopes (26-6);UFC 314, April 12

Michael Chandler (23-9) vs. Paddy Pimblett (22-3); UFC 314, April 12

Yair Rodriguez (19-5, 1 NC) vs. Patricio Pitbull (36-7); UFC 314, April 12

Geoff Neal (16-6) vs. Carlos Prates (21-6); UFC 314, April 12

Dan Ige (18-9) vs. Sean Woodson (13-1-1); UFC 314, April 12

Darren Elkins (29-11) vs. Julian Erosa (30-11); UFC 314, April 12

Sedriques Dumas (10-2) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (19-9, 1 NC); UFC 314, April 12

Sumudaerji (16-7) vs. Mitch Raposo (9-2); UFC 314, April 12

Alberto Montes (11-1) vs. Roberto Romero (8-4-1); UFC 314, April 12

Belal Muhammad (24-3, 1 NC) vs. Jack Della Maddalena (17-2);UFC 315, May 10

Valentina Shevchenko (24-4-1) vs. Manon Fiorot (12-1); UFC 315, May 10

Gilbert Burns (22-8) vs. Michael Morales (17-0); UFC 315, May 10

FINAL THOUGHTS

Jon Jones has done it all and is maybe the greatest MMA fighter any of us has ever seen. The greater concern regarding his legacy at this point is not whether he fights again, but whether anyone will care if he doesn't.

Let's take it to the polls.

Also, let us know below which newly announced fight you're most excited about!

EXIT POLL

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