UFC: Jon Jones not in Dana White’s heavyweight plans for 2022

The UFC heavyweight title picture is shaping up quite nicely for a blockbuster year in 2022.

It was pointed out as much to the promotion’s president Dana White at Saturday night’s UFC Vegas 45 post-fight press conference, after Derrick Lewis reinserted himself into the title mix with a first-round knockout of Chris Daukaus.

Throw in divisional king Francis Ngannou’s titanic showdown with interim champ Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 next month, the return of former champ Stipe Miocic, and the long-awaited debut of former light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, and things may never have looked better.

“We don’t have Jon yet – Jon hasn’t said anything yet,” White said in Las Vegas, however, correcting a reporter.

“That’s a good problem to have in the heavyweight division,” White added. “If there’s so many fights you wanna see, it means 2022 is gonna be packed with so many good heavyweight championship fights.”

The 34-year-old American Jones (26-1, 1 no contest) has been at odds with White and the UFC matchmakers over money since vacating his 205-pound belt in August 2020 and signalling his intent to move up a division.

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White’s words might be news to “Bones”, however, who still seemed intent in an Instagram post this week on making his heavyweight debut next year.

“I said I’ll be the champion in 2022, that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Jones wrote, alongside a series of pictures of himself bulking up in the gym.

“I feel like I’m jumping up three weight classes, going from competing at 205 pounds to 265 pounds is no easy task.

“Nothing great happened overnight, I’m patient and I’m working my ass off every day towards my goals.”