For a long time now, Jon Jones has had the heavyweight division on a string. Fans, athletes, and even UFC executives have been asking for answers: Will he unify the belt against Tom Aspinall, pursue a blockbuster with Francis Ngannou, or simply walk away? But, as is typical of Jon Jones, the answer—if you can call it that—recently came with a surprise twist.

Jones made a public appearance during the ceremonial weigh-ins for the Dirty Boxing Championship’s second event in Miami. While walking out of there, the media attempted to corner him with questions on his fighting future. Was he retiring? Was he fighting ‘The Predator’? Was the Tom Aspinall fight ever going to happen?

However, Jones, fully committed to his job as disruptor, waived off all serious questions and focused the spotlight on Dirty Boxing, the promotion that he co-owns. But when a reporter questioned point-blank, Francis Ngannou or Tom Aspinall—who’s next? Jones smirked and gave a cryptic mic drop: “Whoever comes to Dirty Boxing.”

Well, that wasn’t a joke; when questioned further on Aspinall, if the Briton came to a Dirty Boxing event, would he take the fight? He gave out a straightforward, unblinking “Yes.” No contracts or deadlines, only a strange challenge to show up at the hangar and play by Jones’ rules.

It’s an odd twist, especially given that the UFC reportedly agreed to Jones’ request for a record-breaking payment to meet Aspinall in what may be the biggest heavyweight unification fight ever. Despite this, he continues to avoid taking the direct route.

Meanwhile, Francis Ngannou, who was previously exiled from the UFC, has made a surprise return to the promotion’s stage to support Kamaru Usman. ‘The Predator’ sparked talk of a long-awaited superfight, and that too just days after reacting to Jones on social media: “You take care of the UFC, I’ll take care of the PFL, and we’ll finally find out who’s the king of the heavyweight.” But is he actually back to the promotion?

After Jon Jones’s callout, Francis Ngannou has been seeking a challenge in the promotion

Francis Ngannou, who once walked away from the UFC with the belt still around his waist, never truly left the sport. That became increasingly obvious following Jon Jones’ recent callout. If Jones’ goal was to stir things up, he succeeded. Ngannou’s modest but clear response—offering to “find out who’s the king of the heavyweight”—signaled something fans never expected to see again: ‘The Predator’ circling back.

He’s not circling alone. Eric Nicksick, Ngannou’s longtime coach, has quietly added fuel to the flames, implying that his return to the UFC may no longer be a pipe dream. “Enough time has passed,” Nicksick stated in a recent interview. “I would love to see them mend these fences.” While it is easy to believe that Ngannou’s motivation for the move is money, the truth is far from it.

“It’s not about money,” Nicksick added. “It’s about competition. And the best competition is in the UFC.” At almost 39 years old and with historic fights behind him, there’s just one reason to return—and his name is Jon Jones. But what do you think? Who will ‘Bones’ fight next? Let us know in the comments.