Jon Jones has declared his fighting career over, stating he has hung up his gloves and now considers himself strictly a businessman rather than a fighter. Paulo Costa experienced significant difficulties making weight for his upcoming bout, with team footage showing him struggling to reach 93 kg after previously competing at 84 kg. Costa also shifted his rhetoric regarding Russian opponents, expressing hostility and vowing to add his current opponent to his record before targeting Khamzat Chimaev next. Additionally, Merab Dvalishvili announced plans to fight twice more this year despite suffering a broken nose. Sean Strickland reportedly broke character after a press event, immediately apologizing to those present once cameras stopped rolling.
Jon Jones, widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, has declared his career as a competitor finished, saying he now views himself solely as a businessman and has put his gloves away for good.
Jones, 38, finishes with a record of 28-1-0 and a legacy built almost entirely at light heavyweight before his run as heavyweight champion. Standing six-foot-four with an 84-inch reach, he was a uniquely physical presence throughout his career, landing 4.38 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy while also averaging 1.89 takedowns per 15 minutes — a combination that made him nearly impossible to gameplan against.
Elsewhere, Paulo Costa is dealing with serious weight-management concerns ahead of his next bout. Team footage showed the Brazilian middleweight laboring to reach 93 kg, a notable development given that he previously competed at 84 kg. The 35-year-old holds a 16-4-0 record and sits ranked 13th in the middleweight division. Costa is one of the division's most aggressive strikers, averaging 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. Alongside the weight footage, Costa shifted his tone toward Russian opponents, vowing to add his current opponent to his record before setting his sights on Khamzat Chimaev.
Sean Strickland, the middleweight champion, generated attention off the back of a press event when he reportedly dropped his public persona the moment cameras stopped rolling and immediately apologized to those in attendance. Strickland, 35, carries a 31-7-0 record and is one of the division's most active strikers, throwing at 6.04 significant strikes per minute.
Finally, Merab Dvalishvili confirmed he intends to compete twice more before the year is out, doing so despite having suffered a broken nose.
Why it matters
- Jones retiring creates a permanent vacancy in the conversation around the heavyweight title picture he helped define
- Costa's weight struggle at 93 kg — well above the 84 kg middleweight limit — raises questions about his long-term future in the division
- Strickland's post-event behavior adds another layer of unpredictability around the middleweight champion heading into his next commitment
