Overview

• Jon Jones quietly re-entered the UFC’s anti-doping testing pool less than two weeks after announcing his retirement, making him eligible to compete again in early 2026.
• Dana White elevated interim champion Tom Aspinall to undisputed heavyweight titleholder at UFC Baku, and Aspinall has since confirmed a date and opponent for his first defense.
• UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has speculated that Jones’s return is driven by the British heavyweight’s rise rather than by the prospect of a White House event.
• Former rival Daniel Cormier publicly asserted that Jones’s championship experience gives him an edge over Aspinall, who has yet to go beyond three championship rounds.
• Tom Aspinall has said he respects Jones’s achievements and is concentrating on planning defenses against the division’s top contenders.