Talks regarding Jon Jones' comeback fight are heating up. It was previously suggested by UFC president Dana White that Jones, who will become eligible to return to the Octagon later this month after serving a 15-month suspension for failing a second drug test of a banned substance,
will return in a rematch with Alexander Gustafsson. At the time, however, it sounded only like speculation.
Now, in a more recent interview with ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Jones has revealed that both he and Gustafsson are both in talks for the fight.
"As of right now, that's something that is on the table and we are in talks, but it looks like I will be. Nothing is signed on my end yet," Jones said.
The fight, according to Jones, would be for the light heavyweight championship. Daniel Cormier is currently the light heavyweight champion; he was reinstated as champion when Jones tested positive for turinabol. Cormier recently suggested to ESPN that the UFC is pressuring him to relinquish his light heavyweight belt, especially since he is scheduled to fight Brock Lesnar at heavyweight.
Jones, meanwhile, doesn't think he should even have to fight for the light heavyweight title.
If USADA came to the conclusion that all the science points to this being a complete accident and unintentional, a part of me feels like the belt should be handed back to me. A part of me feels like I shouldn't even have to fight for the belt against Alexander Gustafsson because I was proven innocent. In a way, the belt was never his in the first place. He was given the belt.
Should the two fighters work out an agreement, they will meet at UFC 232 on December 29. The event will already host a female super fight between featherweight champion Cris "Cyborg" Justino and bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.