“You silly gooses know, I never took ste—-s. The evidence is all there. Hence why I was able to fight again.” That was the bold claim made last month by former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, in response to criticism from longtime rival Tom Aspinall. The Brit who then-holds the interim title has repeatedly accused ‘Bones’ of stalling the heavyweight division by refusing to defend his belt.

Even though some were angry, Jon Jones calmly called himself a “game changer.” Many people were surprised by his quick retirement announcement, especially since fans were looking forward to a fight between him and Tom Aspinall. A very angry Aspinall didn’t hold back when he talked to Ariel Helwani. He labeled the former champ a “absolute piece of sh-t” and slammed his history with performance-enhancing d–gs (PEDs). Even though Jones quickly denied the claims, not everyone believes him.

Jon Jones’ st—–d denial sparks backlash

Veteran UFC referee Big John McCarthy, who’s seen the sport evolve from its gritty origins, didn’t mince words when weighing in on Jon Jones’ d–g history. He openly challenged ‘Bones’ claims and cited his previous failed d–g tests — most notably around UFC 200 in 2016, when officials scrapped a planned rematch with Daniel Cormier.

The New Mexican star had tested positive for Hydroxy-clomiphene and Letrozole, substances banned by USADA, leading to a one-year suspension. ‘Bones’ returned to beat Cormier, but officials later overturned the victory after he failed another test — this time for Turinabol — and stripped him of the belt again.

“He’s been caught,” said Big John McCarthy. “As simple as it gets, the reason that Jon Jones got caught was because he took them. And I can’t say when. I’m not going to say how many — I don’t know. He knows…I don’t care — I don’t know if he’s microdosing or how he’s taking it… Okay, so that’s just the way it is. You can sit there and say, ‘I didn’t, I didn’t, I didn’t.’ Doesn’t mean that anyone’s going to believe you.”

Despite his criticisms, McCarthy did acknowledge Jon Jones’ revolutionary impact on the sport, “Is he a game changer? He was a game changer as far as the way he went about fighting in a lot of ways.” Though ‘Bones’ recently announced his retirement, walking away — or stepping up to face Tom Aspinall — was never going to be simple. The MMA community had been pressing him for months, even circulating a online petition calling for the UFC to strip him of his title.

And why not? Jones may hold the record as the longest-reigning heavyweight champion in UFC history — yet he’s only defended the belt once. But just when it looked like his chapter was closed for good, Donald Trump’s hint at a potential UFC event inside the White House suddenly brought the Alburquerque native’ name roaring back into headlines.

Is Jon Jones returning to the UFC?

While addressing supporters in Des Moines, Iowa this past Thursday, American President Donald Trump made a headline-grabbing announcement: he intends to offer the White House grounds to Dana White & Co. for a UFC event. “We’re going to have a UFC fight. Think of this on the grounds of the White House, “Trump said.“We have a lot of land there. We’re going to build a little.”

Placing his trust in longtime ally Dana White, Trump added with conviction, “Dana is going to do it.” The event is being planned to coincide with the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary — a moment that could mark a historic first, as no sporting event has ever taken place on the White House lawn. Trump also suggested the venue could accommodate up to 25,000 fans.

As an avid UFC supporter, Trump has already made appearances at two UFC events this year. His announcement has reignited excitement among fight fans and stirred speculation about potential headliners — including Jon Jones. The former UFC heavyweight kingpin, who shocked the MMA world by announcing his retirement just weeks ago, now seems to be reconsidering. In a post on X, Jones shared,

“Just re-entered the testing pool, that lasted for about two weeks,” he acknowledged. “Figured we’d keep everyone’s options open.”

With that announcement, Jon Jones has once again pulled himself back into the mainstream media spotlight. Yet, Dana White and the UFC have remained silent on the matter. Historically, ‘Bones’ has been one of the most polarizing figures in the sport — a dominant champion, no doubt, but also a source of frustration for the promotion after halting an entire division for over 800 days.