A compilation of MMA news includes several notable items. Jon Jones claimed he has "hung up the gloves" and is now "only businessman Jon Jones," though such retirement statements from Jones have proven unreliable historically. Paulo Costa is struggling significantly to make 93 kg (205 lbs), with team footage showing extreme difficulty, a notable jump from his previous 84 kg (185 lbs) weight class. Costa also made inflammatory comments about Russian fighters, stating he hates them and targeting Khamzat Chimaev next. Johnny Walker gave Jiri Prochazka a surprise gift related to the impending birth of Prochazka's daughter. Josh Hockit was caught on camera immediately dropping his theatrical persona after filming ended, apologizing for his antics. Merab Dvalishvili plans two more fights this year despite a broken nose.
Jon Jones has once again declared his fighting career over, while Paulo Costa is making headlines for his turbulent pursuit of a light heavyweight move — among several other storylines circulating across the MMA world this week.
Jones, 38, announced on social media that he has "hung up the gloves" and is now identifying solely as a businessman. The heavyweight champion carries a 28-1-0 record and has historically made similar retirement declarations that did not hold. Standing six-foot-four with an 84-inch reach and a striking accuracy of 58 percent, Jones remains one of the most decorated fighters in the sport's history, which makes any genuine departure significant — though the MMA community is treating this latest statement with considerable skepticism.
Costa's attempted jump from middleweight to light heavyweight has drawn attention for all the wrong reasons. Team footage shows the Brazilian struggling severely to reach 93 kilograms, a notable climb from the 84-kilogram limit he competed at throughout his middleweight career. The 35-year-old holds a 16-4-0 record and ranks 13th in the middleweight division. A striker who lands 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, Costa is a physically imposing presence at six-foot-one, but the weight transition appears far from smooth. He also made pointed remarks targeting Russian fighters as a group and singled out Khamzat Chimaev as his preferred next opponent.
Elsewhere, Johnny Walker presented Jiri Prochazka with a surprise gift connected to the Czech fighter's upcoming arrival of a daughter. Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division at 33 years old, holds a 32-6-1 record and fights out of Jetsaam Gym Brno.
Why it matters
- Jones's retirement, if genuine, would create significant uncertainty at heavyweight given his standing in the division
- Costa's weight issues raise real questions about whether a light heavyweight campaign is viable for him
- Merab Dvalishvili's plan to compete twice more in 2026 despite a broken nose signals an aggressive schedule for the bantamweight contender
