Jon Jones declared he has hung up his gloves and the fighter Jon Jones no longer exists, saying only businessman Jon Jones remains. Paulo Costa changed his stance on Russian fighters, stating he hates them and that his upcoming opponent will be the second Russian in a row on his record, with Khamzat Chimaev planned as the third. Video emerged from Costa's team showing him struggling significantly to make 93 kilograms, a notable jump from his previous 84-kilogram weight class. Josh Hokit broke character after a cringe-worthy media appearance, immediately apologizing in a normal tone once filming stopped. Merab Dvalishvili plans to fight twice more this year despite suffering a broken nose.
Jon Jones has declared his fighting career over, proclaiming that the fighter known as "Bones" no longer exists and that only businessman Jon Jones remains. The announcement caps a run that saw the 38-year-old compile a 28-1-0 record across multiple divisions, standing six-foot-four with an extraordinary 84-inch reach and posting a striking accuracy of 58 percent alongside 1.89 takedowns per 15 minutes throughout his career.
Meanwhile, Paulo Costa is navigating a turbulent stretch at middleweight. The Brazilian, ranked 13th in the division at 35 years old, has publicly reversed his previous position on Russian fighters, stating he now hates them — and noting that his upcoming opponent will be the second Russian in succession on his ledger, with the number-one-ranked Khamzat Chimaev penciled in as the third. Video footage released by Costa's team shows him visibly laboring to reach 93 kilograms, a significant marker given that he previously competed at 84 kilograms. Costa carries a 16-4-0 record and throws the second-highest volume among the fighters mentioned, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, though his grappling output is minimal.
Chimaev, the looming threat on Costa's horizon, holds a 15-1-0 record and sits at number ten in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 32-year-old is one of the division's most complete pressures, combining 4.04 significant strikes per minute at 60 percent accuracy with a punishing 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Elsewhere in the news cycle, Josh Hokit drew attention after dropping his on-camera persona the moment filming ended, immediately apologizing in a noticeably different tone. And bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili confirmed he intends to fight twice more before the year is out, despite having sustained a broken nose.
Why it matters
- Jones's retirement removes the heavyweight division's most dominant presence from the competitive landscape entirely.
- Costa's weight-cut issues at 93 kilograms raise durability questions ahead of high-profile matchups against top Russian competition.
- A potential Chimaev-Costa fight pits the division's top-ranked fighter against a high-volume striker with significant grappling vulnerabilities.
