Jon Jones still has hopes to score a super fight with former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, but he’s also realistic about when that matchup could happen.
Immediately after knocking out Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 last month, Jones called for a fight with Lesnar, who is currently under contract as a professional wrestler with WWE.
Rumors have been swirling for weeks that Lesnar may pursue another fight in the UFC after his last win was overturned following a positive drug test that surrounded his bout with Mark Hunt in July 2016.
Lesnar responded to several comments made by Jones, which only further fueled speculation that he was actually interested in the fight and might come back to the UFC at least one more time.
Unfortunately, Lesnar is still under suspension from that positive drug test and he would have to serve the rest of his time as well as re-entering the UFC’s testing program before he could book a return to the Octagon.
That means Lesnar wouldn’t be eligible to fight until sometime during the first half of 2018 at the earliest and that’s assuming he doesn’t wait out his current contract with WWE that runs until at least April of next year.
That’s why Jones is still awaiting word from the UFC on his next title defense because he already knows he won’t get a chance to face Lesnar until sometime deep into 2018.
“I think it may be a while before Brock Lesnar is eligible to fight,” Jones told “Good Morning America” on Monday. “Right now, I’m just waiting to hear from the UFC, some different ideas outside of him.”
WATCH: Newly crowned @UFC light heavyweight champion @JonnyBones talks to @michaelstrahan on @GMA! pic.twitter.com/PpzJnoox9C
— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 7, 2017
The most likely candidate for Jones would be a rematch with Alexander Gustafsson, who is fresh off a standout performance where he defeated former title contender Glover Teixeira earlier this year.
Gustafsson took Jones into deep waters in their first fight back in 2013 and there’s certainly little doubt that there would be a ton of interest in the rematch.
As of now, Jones is just enjoying the spoils of war after defeating Cormier while awaiting word from the UFC on a date, location and opponent for his next fight.
