Jon Jones posted new bare‑knuckle training footage as he pushes for a return to MMA. The video comes while he remains in a public contract dispute with the UFC.
Sharp pad work in new video
On Tuesday, Jones shared a video showing clean, fast pad work without gloves. He wrote that he feels “exactly where I need to be” and is excited to see progress in the coming months. The post used the tag #MMA.
Watch the clip here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18CKEGfP8f/
Bare‑knuckle role and recent appearance
Jones attended an IBA Bare‑Knuckle show in St. Petersburg this past weekend. The main event of that card featured Yoel Romero. Jones has signed on as an ambassador for the IBA bare‑knuckle promotion.
Ongoing contract fight with the UFC
The training post arrives amid a tense standoff with UFC president Dana White. The conflict grew earlier this year after Jones was left out of a UFC White House event. Jones said he wanted to be on the card and that negotiations failed. White has said Jones was not in contention for that event.
Jones later asked the UFC to release him so he could keep pursuing his MMA career elsewhere. The promotion has not granted that release. White has also pointed to footage of Jones discussing a hip issue and has mentioned arthritis when talking about Jones’ future.
Ngannou matchup talk and what’s next
Talk of a possible fight between Jones and Francis Ngannou has returned. Ngannou is set to make his MMA comeback on May 16 on the MVP MMA Netflix card. Ngannou publicly showed support for Jones during the dispute, and Jones thanked him on social media.
Even with interest in a Jones vs. Ngannou bout, the UFC seems unlikely to release Jones from his contract right now. The new training footage shows Jones is serious about fighting again, but his route back to the octagon remains unclear.
