Jon Jones reveals life-changing medical issue preventing UFC return

If he hangs up the gloves today, many would consider Jon Jones the best fighter to have ever competed in mixed martial arts, but his retirement may not be too far away.

Love him or hate him, ‘Bones’ arguably has the greatest resume the sport has ever seen. The level of competition that has fallen victim to the Hall of Famer is unlike anything seen before under the UFC banner, with rumors recently surfacing that suggest he still wants to add more prestige to his resume.

Whether or not fans get to see him perform again may depend on his health. Injuries have never plagued Jon Jones’ career, but age is beginning to take its toll. Less than two years away from his 40th birthday, Jones is starting to suffer from a bad case of arthritis, which is threatening to stunt any plans the New Mexico native has in combat sports.

“Bro, I have severe arthritis,” Jones revealed during a conversation with fellow UFC star Joaquin Buckley. “And most people don’t know that.”

“My left hip is covered in arthritis. I actually already qualified for a hip replacement. [During] my last training camp, I went to bed in so much pain.”

While fans hope to see Jon Jones among the stars featured on the UFC White House card, it is beginning to look less likely that it will happen.

Sitting in the exclusive list of two-division UFC champions and holding several records in the promotion, some that may never be broken, there is nothing left for Jones to achieve in the sport. But spending time with family is the main factor making Jones second-guess his return.

“I have a three-year-old baby boy,” Jones continued. “And I wanna use what I’ve got left of my hips to play with [him].”

🚨I have Finally found the reason Jon JonesDid not fight Tom AspinallJon Jones has been suffering from severe arthritis in his left hip pic.twitter.com/FrlgstH3pg

— Chicken King MMA (@ChickenKingMMA) February 3, 2026