Where does Jon Jones go after UFC 309? Does he hang up his gloves and retire into the sunset like most of his contemporaries from the Zuffa era? Does he face his ‘dream matchup’ in Alex Pereira, or his ‘worst nightmare’ in Tom Aspinall? The questions are as pressing as they are frustrating. From Jones’ perspective, the cognitive weight must be quite a bit for anyone to endure. However, this isn’t territory Jones is unfamiliar with as the UFC two-weight champion has always been subject to scrutiny, both for his bitter rivalries inside the Octagon, and his antics outside of it.

While fans want to see Jones put his belt up against the rightful contender Tom Aspinall, or even a fight with Alex Pereira if it comes down to it, their biggest fear might be Jones retiring after beating Stipe Miocic. This may as well be the definitive outcome, but the sport of mixed martial arts is unpredictable in its fights, as well as storylines. Whatever the outcome, it will add to the ongoing storyline of the heavyweight division. So the question remains – will Jon Jones retire after this Madison Square Garden at UFC 309?

Jon Jones opens up about his retirement plans after his fight with Stipe Miocic

Jones recently sat down for a chat with ESPN MMA where he shared the details about his possible retirement. ‘Bones’ said, “You know I feel like I’ve been debating on whether I’m going to retire or not. I really don’t know if I’m going to retire or not. I feel like I’m basing a lot of whether I retire or not on my performance. ” Jon Jones stands as one of the most accomplished and controversial fighters in UFC history, boasting a near-perfect record and redefining what it means to be a dominant champion. With an unorthodox fighting style, exceptional reach, and an incredible fight IQ, Jones first made his mark in 2008 when he joined the UFC.

His rapid rise to the top was capped by becoming the youngest champion in UFC history at just 23 years old, after defeating Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in 2011 for the light heavyweight title. Despite his brilliance, Jones’ career has not been without its setbacks. Legal issues and multiple suspensions related to drug tests cast shadows on his legacy. However, his return in 2023 to capture the heavyweight title in a first-round submission victory over Ciryl Gane showed that his skills remain sharp across weight classes.

The 37-year-old is now preparing for one of his toughest battles to date in his career. He will walk into the fight with a lot of hopes and expectations from the fans. His opponent Miocic is currently 42-year-old and might be featuring in the last fight of his career. While there is no official announcement of it yet former UFC fighter feels this might just be a part of marketing.

Chael Sonnen feels Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic’s retirement may not happen

Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic have both been linked with retirement speculations, since the time their fight was announced. However, Chael Sonnen claims that this might just be done to sell the fight to the fans. Therefore UFC CEO Dana White and Co. used the opportunity to make the fight even more interesting. Fans for a long time have been wanting to see Jones take on Interim champion Tom Aspinall. However, the fans are now more excited to see the fight at Madison Square Garden.

‘The American Gangster’ feels the champion has used this to gather successful reactions from the MMA community. Sonnen said, “There was for nothing more than marketing reasons, it was thrown out that both Jon and Stipe would retire after this fight and Jon grabbed it,” on his YouTube Channel. “After he said it [about the retirement], he got quite a reaction. So, he said it again, and he said it again.” The two-division champion in the past has made my speculations. However, it will be interesting to see if he sticks to his latest announcement this time around.

Will UFC 309 be the final appearance for Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic? If not, will we see them take on the interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.