Jon Jones has announced his retirement from fighting, stating he has hung up his gloves and will now focus solely on being a businessman. Paulo Costa is having significant difficulty making the light heavyweight limit of 205 pounds (93 kg), with footage showing him struggling to reach the weight after previously competing at 185 pounds. Merab Dvalishvili plans to fight two more times this year despite suffering a broken nose. Johnny Walker surprised Jiri Prochazka with a gift related to the birth of his daughter. Costa has also made inflammatory comments about Russian fighters, stating his hatred for them and promising to add another to his record after dealing with an unnamed opponent, with Khamzat Chimaev being his third target.
Jon Jones, widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts, saying he has hung up his gloves and intends to focus on business pursuits going forward.
Jones, 38, finishes his career with a record of 28-1-0. Standing six-foot-four at 193 cm with an 84-inch reach of 213 cm, he was a physically imposing presence throughout his career, combining a striking accuracy of 58 percent with 1.89 takedowns per 15 minutes — a blend of skills that made him exceptionally difficult to game-plan against.
In other light heavyweight news, Paulo Costa is reportedly facing serious difficulties making the 205-pound limit. Footage has emerged showing the Brazilian struggling to reach the weight, a notable challenge given that he built his career competing at middleweight, 20 pounds lighter. Costa, 35, holds a record of 16-4-0 and is currently ranked 13th in the middleweight division. He lands an imposing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, making him a dangerous offensive presence at any weight. Costa has also drawn attention for inflammatory remarks targeting Russian fighters, singling out Khamzat Chimaev as a future target after dealing with a current unnamed opponent.
Separately, bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili has stated his intention to compete twice more before the year is out, despite having suffered a broken nose. On a lighter note, Johnny Walker surprised Jiri Prochazka with a gift connected to the birth of Prochazka's daughter.
Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division at 33 years old, carries a record of 32-6-1 and fights out of Jetsaam Gym Brno in the Czech Republic. Standing six-foot-three at 191 cm with an 80-inch reach of 203 cm, he lands 5.69 significant strikes per minute and connects at 55 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Jones retiring creates a genuine vacancy at the top of the heavyweight landscape and closes a defining chapter in UFC history
- Costa moving up to light heavyweight adds a high-volume striker to an already talent-rich division
- Dvalishvili's plan for two fights signals continued activity in a competitive bantamweight title picture
