Jon Jones’ manager confirms bombshell announcement that could lead to his UFC return shortly following retirement

Jon Jones recently made a surprising reversal regarding his UFC retirement, just weeks after announcing he was stepping away from the sport.

Following President Donald Trump`s announcement about a potential UFC event at the White House, several major stars expressed interest in participating.

Conor McGregor mentioned a possible UFC return on July 4, 2026, and he`s not the only fighter interested in such a significant event. Given the magnitude, fans quickly speculated if a long-awaited fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall could potentially happen on that date.

Jon Jones` Manager Shares Post Indicating Potential Return by Re-Entering UFC Testing Pool

Jon Jones` retirement might be brief following a significant career update he posted on social media. On X (formerly Twitter), Jones stated he has re-entered the UFC`s testing pool, a necessary step for returning to competition soon.

While not formally announcing a comeback, the former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion indicated he is keeping his options open.

Dana White first confirmed Jones` retirement after UFC Baku, before the fighter himself commented on ending his career. However, his decision to re-enter the testing pool appears confirmed by his long-time manager from First Round Management.

Manager Malki Kawa shared Jones` statement on Instagram with a smirking emoji and the caption “Happy Fourth.” Jones re-shared Kawa`s post on his Instagram story, set to the Thin Lizzy song, `The Boys Are Back In Town`.

Jon Jones Deleted Post Disputing Dana White`s Claim on Tom Aspinall Fight

After Jon Jones` official retirement, Tom Aspinall became the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion.

UFC CEO Dana White claimed a fight between Jones and Aspinall was finalized before Jones changed his mind. However, in a quickly deleted X post, Jones disputed this, stating that although negotiations happened, the fight “was never done.”

Despite recent events, fans still clearly desire to see Jones vs Aspinall, although Jones` latest update didn`t specifically mention the British fighter.