Jon Jones rooting for Conor McGregor's return: 'He's a fighter in his heart'
Jon Jones rooting for Conor McGregor's return: 'He's a fighter in his heart'
Farah Hannoun, MMA JunkieThu, July 2, 2026 at 12:03 PM UTC
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Jon Jones admires Conor McGregor for still wanting to fight again.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) runs things back with Max Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) in the UFC 329 main event on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+). He will return from a five-year long layoff after breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
Many doubted McGregor's return after his initial comeback against Michael Chandler in June 2024 was scrapped when he withdrew due to a broken pinky toe.
"Conor doesn't need to fight," Jones told Red Corner MMA. "He has everything, and I respect the fact that he's coming back to fight so much because it shows that he's a fighter in his heart. Me, I got to a certain level and I decided to walk away. Conor, he's back, and it just shows how much he loves the sport. It shows that he's still that fighter despite having so much success. I'm rooting for him, and I'm proud of him, and I think he's just great.
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"The businessman that he's been for our sport teaches fighters that we can be more than just fighters. We could take our brand and do something special with it, which he did with Proper 12 whiskey and everything. I'm proud of Conor. I'm a massive fan, and I think I will be for the rest of my life. He has had a lot of struggles, ups and downs just like I have, but he always gets back on his feet, which is a huge example to so many out there."
Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) hasn't competed since finishing Stipe Miocic to retain his heavyweight title at UFC 309 in November 2024. He was disinterested in fighting Tom Aspinall, and instead turned his attention to Alex Pereira.
However, in June 2025, Dana White announced that Jones retired and Aspinall is now the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. Jones then changed his tune by re-entering the testing pool when UFC Freedom 250 was announced at the White House, but when he was left out of the card, he requested his release.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jon Jones: Conor McGregor's return shows 'he's a fighter in his heart'
Source: “AOL Sports”
