Jon Jones watched from the sidelines as his protégé and former Olympian Gable Steveson dominated PFL vet Alexandr Romanov to secure a victory in his RAF debut in the main event at RAF 9. While Steveson commanded much of the spotlight with his impressive performance, the former UFC two-division champion stole some attention on his own by teasing a major move. During the event, ‘Bones’ appeared to give the green light to a future freestyle wrestling match under the Real American Freestyle banner.

“I would not take any credit for Gable’s wrestling. We got his University of Minnesota head coaches right here,” Jones said. “Guys, I will say it’s so good to be back with the wrestling community.”

After Jones praised the former NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist for his superior wrestling, Chael Sonnen, who was conducting interviews at the event, asked him whether he would be interested in competing under the RAF.

“I would absolutely love to wrestle with you guys,” Jones added.

For Jones, competing under the RAF banner would be a significant and realistic move, especially given the uncertainty surrounding his UFC contract situation. While Dana White’s promotion does not prevent its active fighters from participating in wrestling and grappling matches since they aren’t viewed as competitive MMA promotions, the fighters still appear like they have to secure special approval from UFC executives before competing in such events.

During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the now-retired UFC star Colby Covington revealed that he met with UFC CBO Hunter Campbell regarding his involvement with RAF. According to Covington, the discussions went positively, and the brass ultimately permitted him to pursue wrestling matches against active UFC fighters. As such, Jones, who is currently retired from UFC, should face fewer obstacles if he chooses to compete under the freestyle wrestling promotion. However, the situation may not be quite so straightforward for Jones.

Currently, the Rochester native is actively exploring ways to exit his UFC contract and has stated that doing so is highly “possible” through the proper legal channels. As a result, the dynamic between Jones and the UFC might have soured, making it unclear whether a future RAF appearance would be as simple for him as it has been for others. 

Nevertheless, RAF co-founder Izzy Martinez has already expressed interest in staging a potential Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones wrestling match under the promotion’s banner. Given the history between the two former rivals, such a matchup would undoubtedly be one of the biggest attractions RAF could possibly put together.

Now, if that clash fails to materialize, Jon Jones has expressed interest in another option for his return to combat sports.

Jon Jones reveals plans for future boxing return  

Following Francis Ngannou’s return victory at Most Valuable Promotions’ MMA 1 event against Philipe Lins, a superfight with Jon Jones looks like a possibility. However, with the former champ still being under a UFC contract and apparently having six fights left on his deal, it would be tough for him to get out of that contract to fight him in MMA.

Plus, he believes Dana White may not entertain the fight under the UFC banner because of his personal beef with the Cameroonian. Because of that turmoil, Jones revealed that he would be very interested in trying boxing.

“I really wanted to box,” Jones told Denise White. “If I were to put all of my energy in my hands, combinations, and punching power, I think I really could surprise a lot of people. I would love to box. That would be a lot of fun.”

Though Jones didn’t directly name Ngannou here, if he gets the chance to throw hands inside a ring, the most likely opponent would be the Cameroonian, given their mutual interest in fighting each other. Now, the possibility of both former UFC fighters clashing in a boxing ring has gained even more traction after Tyron Woodley shared an interesting detail.

According to the former UFC welterweight champion,  he apparently provided Jones with the contact information of the lawyer who helped Conor McGregor secure the Floyd Mayweather boxing match through the ‘Ali Act’ while the Irishman was still under an exclusive UFC contract.

If the process worked in McGregor’s case, it could potentially work for Jones as well, at least as far as boxing is concerned. However, with the former two-division champion still under a UFC contract, it will be interesting to see which career path he chooses next, if he is able to pursue one at all.