After viral video, Jon Jones claims UFC ‘knows the extent of my arthritis’

Jon Jones didn’t know he was being recorded when he revealed that “severe arthritis” would prevent him from considering a wrestling match against Daniel Cormier at a future Real American Freestyle event.“I have severe arthritis,” Jones said in a video via Home of Fight. “Most people don’t know that. My left hip is covered in arthritis. I was actually already eligible for a hip replacement. During my last training camp I went to bed in so much pain.”

As that video became a hot topic of conversation in the MMA community, Jones discussed his condition in an interview with
TMZ Sports.“It appears a private conversation I had on DBX 5 in Houston has gone into the wilderness,” Jones said. “It happens. Like most fighters, we deal with injuries quietly sometimes, and as in my case, for years. Many of us walk around with a limp most days and pay the ultimate price for our health.”

While Jones’ confession was unknowingly caught on camera, the former two-division UFC champion confirmed that he had battled arthritis in the later stages of his career.”If you’re wondering if it’s true, it is. I’m grateful for all my scars, and if I could do it again, I would do it absolutely without hesitation. It’s what I wake up for every day in my career,” Jones said.

“Even after becoming one of the most talented fighters in the history of the sport, I still feel bad that my critics have slowed me down over the years. That’s called living to fight another day, taking the lessons learned and applying them to business instead of the Octagon. It’s called evolution.”

No secret

Jones has not competed since November 2024, when he defeated Stipe Miocic via third-round TKO in the headliner of UFC 309. After turning down a Tom Aspinall fight and a brief retirement, “Bones” re-entered the drug testing pool in hopes of competing in the UFC White House event. That’s something Jones still hopes to achieve, despite his apparent physical limitations.“The UFC knows the extent of my arthritis,” Jones said. They also know that if I were to risk it all one last time and endure so much pain, the reward would have to be something special and something more than a big payday. For me that was and still is the White House.

“Whether that fight happens or not, my career will be one for the ages and nothing short of legendary,” Jones added. “I left a huge part of me in that Octagon, and I’m grateful for every piece of it. And don’t get it twisted, I’ll still kick 99% of you out there. I’m still putting big numbers under the squat rack. Still training. Still better than most of you… maybe after a good warm-up and a good stretch.”