Apparently, a private moment turned public for Jon Jones.
Yesterday, a clip of the former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion surfaced online, revealing that “Bones” is dealing with severe arthritis in his hip. According to Jones, however, the conversation was never meant to be heard by the public.
Now that it has gone viral, Jones addressed the situation in an interview with TMZ Sports, confirming the diagnosis while expressing frustration over the leak.
“Looks like a private
conversation I had at DBX 5 in Houston made its way out into the wild,” Jones said. “It happens. Like most fighters, we deal with injuries quietly sometimes — and in my case, for years. A lot of us walk around limping most days, paying the ultimate price for our health.”
Jones made it clear that the arthritis is real.
“If you’re wondering whether it’s true, it is,” he added. “I’m grateful for all my battle scars, and if I could do it all over again, I absolutely would without hesitation. It’s been what I wake up for in my career every day.”
The 38-year-old also pushed back on criticism that he has slowed down in recent years.
“Even after becoming one of the most accomplished fighters in the history of the sport, my critics still give me grief about slowing down,” Jones continued. “That’s called living to fight another day — taking the lessons learned and applying them to business instead of the Octagon. It’s called evolution.”
Jones revealed that the UFC is fully aware of his condition — and that any potential return would need to be worth the physical toll.
“The UFC knows the extent of my arthritis,” he said. “They also know that if I were to put it all on the line one last time and endure that level of pain, the reward would have to be something special — something more than a fat payday. For me, that was and still is the White House.”
“Whether that fight happens or not, my career has been one for the ages,” Jones concluded. “I left a big part of myself in that Octagon, and I’m grateful for every bit of it. And don’t get it twisted — I’ll still kick 99% of your asses out there. Still lifting big numbers, still training, still outworking most of you… just maybe after a proper warm-up and a good stretch.”
Jones has remained focused on securing a spot on the historic UFC White House card later this year, though that opportunity appears increasingly uncertain as UFC CEO Dana White has publicly expressed doubts about trusting the former champion.
Still, Jones hasn’t stopped campaigning — and a blockbuster opponent remains available should the UFC change course. Current UFC Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has repeatedly pushed for a superfight with Jones, a matchup that would instantly become one of the biggest in recent MMA history.
Whether that bout ever materializes remains to be seen, especially with Jones now openly acknowledging the severity of his arthritis.
Nevertheless, Jones was last in action against Stipe Miocic, stopping him at UFC 309 in 2024 (watch highlights).
