Jon Jones has declared his fighting career over, stating he has hung up his gloves and is now solely businessman Jon Jones. Johnny Walker gave Jiri Prochazka a surprise gift ahead of the birth of Prochazka's daughter. Paulo Costa has shifted his rhetoric, now saying he hates Russian fighters and plans to add another to his record after dealing with "this fat guy," with Khamzat Chimaev as his third target. Video emerged of Costa struggling significantly to make 93kg, notable since he previously competed at 84kg. Josh Hoquette was caught breaking character after filming ended, apologizing in a normal tone for his promotional antics. Merab Dvalishvili plans to fight twice more this year despite his broken nose, while both Ulgberg and Prochazka stood out at the ceremonial weigh-ins.
Jon Jones declared his fighting career finished on April 11, posting that he has hung up his gloves and is now operating purely as a businessman — a statement that brings a formal close to one of the sport's most storied runs.
Jones, 38, finishes with a professional record of 28-1-0, a mark built over a career defined by physical dominance. Standing six-foot-four with an 84-inch reach, "Bones" averaged 4.38 significant strikes landed per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate, and consistently used his wrestling to control opponents at 1.89 takedowns per 15 minutes. His lone loss came by disqualification, a footnote that did little to diminish his legacy.
Elsewhere in the light heavyweight division, Jiri Prochazka drew attention at the ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of what is also a notable personal moment — teammate Johnny Walker presented the Czech contender with a surprise gift ahead of the birth of his daughter. Prochazka, 33, holds a 32-6-1 record and sits ranked second in the division. The six-foot-three Orthodox striker averages 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy and carries an 80-inch reach.
Paulo Costa, meanwhile, shifted his target list publicly, declaring he now specifically hates Russian fighters and intends to make Khamzat Chimaev his third such opponent after handling what he called "this fat guy." Video circulating online showed Costa visibly struggling to reach 93 kilograms — a weight worth noting given that Costa's combat career has included competition at 84 kilograms. The 35-year-old Brazilian ranked 13th at middleweight carries a 16-4-0 record and is one of the division's most aggressive strikers, averaging 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy.
Also in the news cycle, Merab Dvalishvili confirmed he intends to compete twice more before the year is out despite suffering a broken nose, and footage emerged of Josh Hoquette dropping his promotional persona the moment cameras stopped rolling, offering a straightforward apology for his on-screen behavior.
Why it matters
- Jones's retirement announcement removes one of the heavyweight division's most significant figures from the competitive picture
- Costa's public callout of Chimaev adds a notable stylistic matchup to the middleweight conversation
- Prochazka's continued profile at light heavyweight keeps divisional title implications in focus
