UFC 282 What’s next for Jon “Bones” Jones? - Odds, Predictions, Picks

• Jon Jones tentatively returning by the end of 2022

• “Bones” likely to make heavyweight debut

• Is Stipe Miocic the right opponent?

UFC 282 Jones vs. Miocic Odds

Come back for the official odds closer to the event! Until then you can bet on UFC at DraftKings Sportsbook.

The controversial former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has not fought since his unanimous decision title defense over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020.

Since then, “Bones” has had public contract disputes with the organization, vacated his championship, and has spent the past two years bulking up in size and teasing a move up to the heavyweight division.

Training with Jackson’s MMA Acoma as well as with the Fight Ready team, it appears that Jones may finally be set to make his octagon return.

Who is “Bones” Jones?

The youngest champion in UFC history, Jon Jones debuted for the UFC promotion at UFC 87 in 2008 as a 7-0 fighter.

His only loss came in the form of a disqualification when he illegally elbowed Matt Hamill in 2009. Since then, Jones amassed 13-straight wins that saw him capture light heavyweight gold and, defend it eight times, get stripped of the title for drug violations, and then capture interim light heavyweight glory.

In his fight to unify the undisputed and interim titles against Daniel Cormier, Jones was victorious but ultimately tested positive for illegal substances once again and was stripped of the title once more.

He returned in 2018 and won the vacant light heavyweight title in a fight against Alexander Gustafsson. He then defended the title three more times before voluntarily relinquishing the belt. 

He has been inactive since February 8, 2020.

Jones to challenge Stipe Miocic in December?

On October 25, Jon Jones posted to Twitter that he is preparing to make his heavyweight debut against former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 282 on December 10.

He followed that tweet with another, asking Miocic to ‘sign the contract’.

Stipe Miocic is considered the most successful UFC heavyweight champion of all time - having defended the title more than anyone in the company’s history.

He won the title in 2016 and defended it three times before losing it to Daniel Cormier in 2018. 

Miocic and Cormier rematched and Miocic regained his title via fourth-round TKO. The two rematched once again, with Miocic winning by unanimous decision. 

His last fight came on March 27, 2021, at UFC 260 where he took on Francis Ngannou for a second time. Ngannou defeated Miocic with a second-round knockout.

Although not official, early odds list Jon Jones as the favorite to win in a fight against Miocic - despite his significant time away and despite having never fought in the heavyweight division before.