Jon Jones on UFC return: “The story can’t end like this”

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is currently serving a suspension for a failed random out-of-competition drug test back in June, which forced him out of his UFC 200 headlining scrap with Daniel Cormier just 48 hours before fight night.

Jones maintained his innocence throughout USADA’s appeal process, and it was ultimately determined that the failed drug test was the result of a tainted supplement, which resulted in USADA handing the former champ a one year suspension retroactive to July, meaning Jones will be eligible to compete again on July 7th of 2017.

‘Bones’ appeared on Joe Rogan’s ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ Podcast this week to discuss his career, and his plans to return to the Octagon and reclaim the belt he never lost inside the cage:

“I seriously have been working on my personal life tremendously, and I seriously feel as of right now, I feel amazing,” Jones said. “I feel better now today than I did when I was beating everybody’s ass and sponsored by the world. I literally feel better today because I feel I’ve conquered a lot of demons in my personal life.”

“Everything is so put together right now in my life outside of sports; I just feel really good right now,” Jones said. “Also, it’s being in the position where I don’t need to fight again either, financially. I have to fight because the story can’t end like this.”

“I’m excited to go back and get my baby (the belt),” Jones said. “No one has spoken to me about whether I get an immediate shot or whether they make me fight at least once or twice before. I have no clue what they are actually planning on doing. I literally haven’t spoken to Dana White since fight week of UFC 200.

“I feel like my best has yet to come, and I’m in a position to really touch a lot of people and inspire a lot of people from where I came from. Doing it for other people motivates me probably more than doing it for myself.”

With seven months left until his suspension is up, there has been no word yet on who Jones will face when he does make his return to the Octagon.