Jon Jones is coming back and he's coming to take over the whole damn thing.

The pound-for-pound great and embattled former light heavyweight king has been away from the fight game for nearly a year, but the time of his return draws closer. And while a USADA suspension put him on the sidelines for 12 months—and personal and legal troubles hindered his career before that—the man who is arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time has used his time away to reshape his focus.

The rhetoric of being a changed man and the redemption narrative of a superstar who fell from grace aren't the stories Jones cares to engage in, because those are just words and Jones knows the lack of value in words alone. Therefore, the youngest champion in UFC history and the most dominant titleholder to ever reign atop the 205-pound fold has something completely different in mind.

Jones plans to prove his greatness, and the only place that can be done is inside the UFC Octagon.

"I'm focusing on what I have to do and that's winning," Jones told FloCombat in an exclusive interview. "Keeping my attention there kind of removes all the drama, but I'm sure that will all pick up again now that I'm here in Buffalo. I'm over the drama and I'm ready to get my shit back. I'm coming back to get everything I lost in this sport, and I have a lot of work to do."


Apr 23, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports

In his time away from fighting and during the former champion's self-imposed exile from the media, Jones has learned the value of patience, settling into a world where immediacy has been unattainable. And if there is one a notable change in Jones since he left the spotlight last summer, it's the general easiness in his demeanor.

Life at a slower roll allowed Jones to appreciate things in his life he failed to latch onto because his world was moving at a velocity foreign to most. Getting back to square one also made Jones realize he was born to fight, and there were plenty of personal battles waged beyond where the camera starts and stops rolling.

And that discovery is what has Jones feeling more dangerous than ever before. He's been open in past interviews about how youth, fame and money are a bad mixture which made him care less about the empire he was in the process of building. With his suspension coming to an end in July and his return figured to come shortly after, Jones intends to get right back to constructing his legacy.

"It's definitely safe to say I've had to practice a great amount of patience during this period," Jones said. "I had to learn to focus on the things I could control and put my energy into my work ethic and getting better. I've gotten a lot better in my absence and I'm excited to prove it."

The former king knows full well how long and heavy the shadow cast over the light heavyweight division in his absence has been, and he believes it's affected Daniel Cormier the most. Despite their rematch at UFC 200 falling apart and facing other opponents inside the cage, the current titleholder and Jones' most heated rival has never allowed the idea of a rematch with Jones slip too far from the public consciousness.

And the former wrestling standout just may get his wish.


Mandatory Photo Credit: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea

Since his days in Strikeforce and his time competing as a heavyweight in the UFC, Cormier has vocalized his pursuit of Jones at every turn. After suffering a defeat to Jones at UFC 182, the Louisiana native set an immediate course for redemption and went about hammering his way back to a rematch with the pound-for-pound great.

Due to the circumstances at hand, the former Olympian will have a second go round with powerhouse Anthony Johnson this Saturday night at UFC 210 in Buffalo, New York.  Jones made the trip back to his home state and will be in attendance for the main-event tilt that is set to determine the man he'll face in his return later this year.

Yet, although Jones would love nothing more than to put a definitive stamp on the rivalry with Cormier, he's also keeping things an open book at this time. There will be decisions to make, courses to chart and game plans to forge, but none of this will happen in the here and now.

Jones is happy to have a front-row seat to see how things shake out, as it will bring him one more realistic step closer to getting back to what he feels he belongs.

"I'm excited to come back and especially in front of the New York fan base," Jones said. "I missed this sport and the energy. It's definitely very exciting, and I'm excited to watch this fight.

"It is really good to be back, but as far as fighting the winner, I haven't come to any type of an agreement with the UFC as far as who I'll be fighting. I'm still debating whether or not I should take a warm-up fight or jumping right back in there for the title. I don't really know what is going to happen and I don't have much of a plan at this time.

"I'm a fan of the sport and I'm just excited to watch this fight."


Jan 3, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) and Daniel Cormier (blue gloves) compete during their light heavyweight title fight at UFC 182 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Jones won. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

While either challenge would be appealing to Jones, he won't deny there's the lingering sense of unfinished business with Cormier. The bad blood between the two men has played out in headlines, soundbites and video clips for the past several years, making their feud one of the most prolific in MMA history.

Cormier is often asked about Jones, and in those moments he sounds off at will. Most recently, Cormier warned the Jackson/Winkeljohn fighter not to enter the cage should he win on Saturday night at UFC 210. Whether those barbs were sent out hoping to get a rise or to send a message, Jones only finds humor in his rival's words.

"I think it's funny," Jones said. "I haven't said anything about anything he's said. I've been in Buffalo enjoying time with my fiancee shopping and just chilling, and I've made zero comments. The mention of my name just pisses him off so much, and it's very amusing to me."

Jones knows Cormier holds an obsession with being the first man to topple the former champion, but the New York native also sees his residence in "D.C's" mental space as a weakness of sorts, but also believes there's more to it. Jones feels Cormier needs to find some justification for how things went down the first time and will always go down in the eyes of the embattled former champion.

"I feel like he knows in his heart that he can't beat me," Jones said. "That's what frustrates him the most. He talks about me being a recovering alcoholic and all this type of shit, but the reality of it is he still lost to a guy who wasn't taking things seriously at that point of his career. He needs to come up with a reason why, and he can't.

"He doesn't understand why he can't beat me. He's beaten everyone else, and he lost to a version of myself who wasn't operating at my full potential. I think that's what frustrates him the most and why he lashes out every time he hears my name."


Jan 3, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) and Daniel Cormier (blue gloves) compete during their light heavyweight title fight at UFC 182 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Jones won. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Jones believes the rematch with Cormier will eventually come, and he's not quite sure the AKA leader understands the shift that will take place. Life is good when you aren't a focal point in Jones' world, and when the next fight gets booked, Cormier will then become the only thing on Jones' mind.

Furthermore, Jones doesn't believe Cormier is truly ready for what that will entail. Thinking about him is one thing, defeating him is another, and no one other than Jones himself as has been remotely successful in that regard.

"It's going to be a real bad night for Daniel when the time comes," Jones said. "I've only gotten better in my time off and preserved my body. I've had no injuries or concussions, meanwhile he's been battling and getting injured. I'm excited, man. I truly believe I'm coming into my prime and he's definitely beyond his.

"He's only gotten older and weaker and I'm excited to get in there and dominate him when the time comes."

Jones admitted he's not paying much attention to anything until fight night, but he did share his thoughts on the morning weigh-in debacle when Cormier hit the scale.

The champion missed the mark initially and his title fight appeared to be in shambles until Cormier jumped back on the scale and hit the mark. The entire situation caused an enormous ruckus that lit social media on fire, becoming just one more thing about Cormier he finds entertainment in.

"I think the weigh-in drama is also funny," Jones said. "That team over at AKA isn't looking too good right now with all the injuries and Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and Daniel missing weight is something that needs to be managed better over there. I think it's also very unprofessional for a champion not to make weight. There's no excuse.

"He had several months to get ready for one event and I hope this isn't an indicator of where he's at mentally. I definitely look at it as a sign of a weakness, and if I were Anthony Johnson I'd find confidence in that."

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When the dust settles this Saturday night in Buffalo, the man left standing in the main event could very well come face to face with Jones in the near future. Social media will explode, articles will be written, and while a handful of months remain on his suspension, the official lead up to his return will have begun.

The thought of this is something Jones finds happiness in, but there's more than reclaiming a lost title in his scope. Jones is focused on rebuilding his status and legacy in a sport, and just because that sport has been longing for a dominant champion doesn't mean much to him.

"I'm not focused on elevating the sport or taking it anywhere," Jones said. "I'm here to win fights, get my belt back and get my endorsements back together. I'm focused on my own personal career and legacy. That's what matters to me."

The current landscape of the UFC and MMA in general has become barren of certified stars in 2017 and Jones knows his value in that regard.

Ronda Rousey has left the sport and Conor McGregor is trying to get a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, which has created an ample opportunity where Jones is concerned. He is aiming to take the game over full throttle and make the next chapter of his career one you cannot look away from.

Until that opportunity arises, though, Jones will be watching and waiting. The fans will divide themselves into groups of love and hate, but no matter what they'll all be watching when he makes his signature crawl up those steel stairs.

And while Jones will draw closer to that moment he's long envisioned with each new day, he'll bide his time and be patiently waiting for his chance to let it all go.


Apr 23, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) before his fight against Ovince Saint Preux (blue gloves) during UFC 197 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports

"I do realize this sport could use me back at this time for sure," Jones said. "Ronda Rousey has fallen away from the spotlight and Conor McGregor is absent right now. I think now is a time to come back and make a run for what I want.

"I think it's a blessing people forget things so easily. It's great and receiving the fans' forgiveness is a good position to be in. Sometimes people appreciate you more when they don't have you and I feel I've definitely been missed. It's a great and I love it."