Dana White hopeful Jon Jones can fight in summer, Stipe Miocic ‘makes sense’

Could Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic be just around the corner?

UFC President Dana White told TMZ that he’s looking forward to possibly having the three-time light heavyweight champion return this summer with a pair of pay-per-view cards on the horizon.

UFC 275, which takes place June 11 in Kallang, Singapore, is headlined by a pair of title bouts as current 205-pound champion Glover Teixeira defends against Jiri Prochazka and flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko faces off with Taila Santos. On July 2, UFC 276 caps off this year’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas, and that lineup is still under construction.

White would like to see Jones fight again soon, and according to him, there are ongoing discussions.

“Listen, people have been talking about how awesome this card is, and I was just telling somebody the other day our lineup for this summer is incredible, so I’m hoping that Jon Jones is gonna be a part of that lineup this summer,” White said.

Jones has not competed since a successful light heavyweight championship defense against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020. He later vacated the title amid a contract dispute with the UFC and planned to move up to the heavyweight division.

Legal issues have also kept Jones out of action. Most recently, Jones struck a plea deal that saw domestic violence charges dismissed after he was arrested at a hotel in Las Vegas this past September when authorities were called to address an incident involving Jones’ then-fiancee and children.

In April, Jones tweeted that he hopes to return in June or July, which would line up with White’s timetable. As for whom he might fight, a rivalry with two-time UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has long been brewing, and White agreed that’s the way he’s leaning.

“Stipe makes sense,” White said.