While UFC heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones continues to sidestep a title defense against Tom Aspinall, he’s shifted his focus to other ventures—most recently, a stint in Thailand. Instead of causing trouble, ‘Bones’ is filming the Russian version of The Ultimate Fighter, titled ALF Reality, where he has been booked to coach against former UFC star Nate Diaz. The UFC heavyweight champ claimed he’s enjoying life in Thailand and had already informed Dana White & Co. about his plans.

But things quickly took an unexpected turn. The show hit a major snag after the revelation that Nate Diaz left the project. Known for his blunt and often controversial persona, the Stockton native allegedly got into a heated altercation with Zalimkhan Yusupov, a Russian fighter and close friend of Jon Jones—the same man ‘Bones’ was recently spotted riding pillion in a viral video from the streets of Thailand.

According to reports, Yusupov attempted to choke Nate Diaz, prompting the ex UFC star—true to his no-nonsense reputation—to retaliate with a tight slap to the Russian fighter. The fallout from the incident saw Diaz reportedly fly back to the U.S., with rumors swirling that Yusupov put a bounty on his head.

Fortunately, Nate Diaz landed safely in California, as confirmed by his coach, who didn’t hold back in addressing the incident on social media: “Do you see any fear from us. I will always have your manhood forever you can do nothing about it Russian. You know what it is. REAL GANGSTER COME FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA,” the Stockton native’s coach wrote.

Amid the chaos, despite being left without his coaching counterpart, Jon Jones still showed respect for Diaz. He reposted an Instagram story featuring a photo of the two fighters together, captioned: “GOAT talk.”

Meanwhile, Jon Jones’ Russian associate, Zalimkhan Yusupov, hasn’t exactly stayed out of the headlines. Earlier this year, he allegedly attempted to choke former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling during filming for The Ultimate Fighter: Russian Counterpart. But when others stepped in, Yusupov reportedly bolted—leaving fans debating as to who really crossed the line.

With the recent Nate Diaz incident and the heavyweight star publicly siding with him, questions are swirling: has Jon Jones just put his relationship with his Russian ally on thin ice? Time will tell. But for now, let’s shift focus to ‘Bones’ latest announcement.

Jon Jones teased his comeback

“I told you guys already, we’ll get Aspinall vs Jones done. Just relax, I’ll announce that soon,” said UFC president Dana White during an Instagram Live session a few weeks ago while unveiling a slate of major upcoming bouts. His confident response came after fans repeatedly asked about a potential clash between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. But despite White’s assurance, frustration is mounting. With Aspinall holding the interim title for over 500 days now—and still no official fight announcement in sight—fans are growing increasingly restless.

But just yesterday, Jon Jones appeared to shut down all of Dana’s claims, casting doubt over the UFC heavyweight title picture. In a conversation with Russian MMA promoter Kamal Gadzhiev—who complimented him on still being active—Jones responded bluntly: “I am done.” Now, only a day later, ‘Bones’ seems to have walked back that statement. On his Instagram story, he hinted at a comeback by sharing a clip of a dog stepping in to dominate another dog, captioned: “What I feel like returning to the UFC after some much needed downtime.”

With the drama unfolding, the spotlight is once again on a potential clash between Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones. The burning question: Will the UFC’s heavyweight king finally defend his crown against the surging Englishman? Share your take in the comments below.