Jon Jones' Fight Date and Opponent Confirmed, UFC Has a Backup Plan

By: Alok Nayak Image Credit: UFC

[{"selector":"#anim-0f6b234c-2335-44bd-afad-072da443ccd6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(17.310211883205863%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Jon Jones' UFC return is confirmed to take place in 2023 as per recent reports. And it will be a title fight.

[{"selector":"#anim-bd5a5919-28f4-4b2f-835f-056662d5af19 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-62.2656249106872%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8a900e20-a72b-4655-ad7d-cd87f2b333c0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2d59e352-d5de-485c-b0c5-ba0ba5376217","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-147.27273%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1f08d407-ebfc-415d-a49d-e748e384db7f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":900,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b730f833-a3f4-4f72-9f27-5ff3a54bfe65","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b952f7ef-891b-4a79-9aac-3cb6d7806bba","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.80198%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] UFC is targeting Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou(current heavyweight champion) for UFC 285 on March 4th in Las Vegas.

[{"selector":"#anim-96b94f53-aaa9-4cbd-a842-6b19fbdb4989 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-12.89648428568718%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60715041-7e41-4a60-9651-98b9896c63b4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-850a91f1-d0ec-4953-8e75-d6748f2d7a78","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.70492%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b49f62ab-5a5d-4236-afdf-08c51e642ad6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-10ebe3ca-911f-42cb-8fe6-eb44b0638f3a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-73.53362%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Francis Ngannou is recovering from knee injury that he suffered leading upto his last title defense against Ciryl Gane.

[{"selector":"#anim-af83f4c0-c4fd-4a62-9ebf-95ad551e0bf0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-719ea543-da15-4a74-90ad-c30a502a8844","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 62.42533%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c601ded6-88cf-4c98-a6e5-21eb67e5e2a6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-37fcfa35-593e-4c20-aa06-fedd220267f8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(54.70182282735387%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] If Jones vs Ngannou is not materialised, UFC is willing to book Jon Jones vs Curtis Blaydes for Jones' heavyweight debut.

[{"selector":"#anim-010f9877-41fb-467a-a530-3229abc7b18a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-14.050966967957912%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8746155c-f60c-457a-9bd6-c57b52ed3a0f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0c92bbec-b182-4217-8376-c884e8770547","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-307.87403%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2899114d-510a-4a76-ac4d-d2b9df287017","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ea305f1c-1a89-4e26-a310-5d4d0cff5917","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.45614%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Curtis Blaydes is on an impressive winning streak in the heavyweight division and he will be a huge test for Jones with his wrestling pedigree.

[{"selector":"#anim-70c31f30-6391-405d-98bf-299ad4baf8e1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6c1a4022-6f4e-44d4-8cc9-c5948ea83aed","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 74.25329%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-72381d87-3346-432d-8bc7-43c18c607b62","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84d7377b-7c14-4986-9908-29fd6ff68153 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(17.165356553639285%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Jon Jones has been away from the octagon for over 2 years. However, he has put a lot of effort to build himself for the heavyweight division.

[{"selector":"#anim-0dd4f073-7078-4834-ae23-890085e17259 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-19.483041826704508%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c99be149-0e52-4f5a-99d7-c43768f02f19","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-68aef2d6-999a-4e7e-b113-6d78f01849b8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.86834%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84192ed1-4db7-459b-b8f1-ea5a3219439f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0c84edac-e425-4f75-b7d2-8a7f4a5a5583","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-166.0793%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Francis Ngannou seemed unhappy with his current UFC contract and threatened to leave the promotion after his last fight. And it seems the contract situation has not improved that much after a year.

[{"selector":"#anim-2ce111cf-10f9-45f5-aebc-823b99ff1cd9 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(21.076450451936843%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d811254d-4a25-46c0-a242-43179bc4b2eb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a9c0ac3d-03b7-4e47-b1d2-979fb8bcba90","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-121.33333%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8797d271-25de-4dcb-82a0-22d62d02e981","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9be8a216-1585-4e4e-9ea1-e1e0be638677","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-158.95197%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Regardless of the opponent, the fans will certainly be excited to see arguably the GOAT compete in the heavyweight division.

Jon Jones' Fight Date and Opponent Confirmed, UFC Has a Backup Plan

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