Jon Jones teases UFC comeback against Alex Pereira

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Is this the last dance that Jon Jones wants?

In just the first month of the new year, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) became one of the most trending sports topics in the world after several dream match callouts, and there is no better man to ride the wave than the controversial Jones.

On Jan. 18, 2026, Jones made noise once again after responding to light heavyweight king Alex Pereira’s social media post.

Pereira uploaded a sarcastic video from a tire shop, where the text “NEXT–JONES, UFC” was written on a tire beside a huge hammer.

Within an hour, Pereira’s post created buzz and trended across platforms, but the majority of MMA analysts said it was more of a humorous attempt to poke Jones, who is still longing to return despite announcing his retirement from the UFC.

It did not take long for Jones to reply to Pereira’s post, uploading a series of Instagram stories directed at the light heavyweight champion.

“I’ve beaten a lot of legends from your country, my friend,” Jones posted.

“I know you’d love to avenge the boys, but boy, would you be a good one to add to my list. Be careful what you wish for.”

However, Jones’ wish may take longer than expected, as Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev may be bound for their third and final match in a highly anticipated light heavyweight trilogy.

On the other hand, Jones has yet to regain UFC President Dana White’s trust after figuring in a series of scandals before retiring from the sport.

Jones was able to redeem himself after Bernalillo County in New Mexico dropped all charges against him, stating that the defendant’s alibi defense was credible.

In retrospect, police reports confirmed that Jones fled the scene of a car crash on Feb. 21, 2025, where a woman was found heavily intoxicated in the passenger seat.