Jon Jones to defend title at upcoming Atlanta event

After a very dominant year—one that included four wins and the UFC light heavyweight title—Jon Jones asserted he would be taking a long vacation; but after roughly one month on the sidelines, Jones says he’s ready to get back in the Octagon.

Jones (15-1) said in an interview during Friday night’s UFC on FX post-fight show that he’s just waiting for the promotion to line him up with an opponent. Considering the light heavyweight division’s title picture, that opponent will either be Rashad Evans (16-1-1), Phil Davis (9-0), or Dan Henderson (29-8).

When asked about a potential return date, Jones said he was “hearing rumors” of an event in Atlanta for UFC 145. A look at the UFC calendar reveals that the event, which will take place April 21 at Philips Arena, is a solid candidate for a Jones headliner: Although the UFC has already announced 10 fights for the show, it still lacks a main event.

The final decision will likely be made known as early as next weekend, when Evans and Davis square off in the main event of UFC on FOX 2. Should Evans win, his chance for a shot at Jones has been guaranteed; however, he would have to avoid any serious injuries that would prevent him from preparing for April’s UFC 145. Because the events are separated by less than three months, the possibility of Evans missing out on yet another title opportunity is an undeniable reality.

If Evans does sustain such an injury, or if he loses to Davis, it’s likely that Henderson will leapfrog Evans as Jones’ next challenger. Henderson is coming off a strong UFC 139 win over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, and emphatically demonstrated that even at age 41 he can put on fights that contend with some of the best in UFC history. Following the victory, Henderson declined to fight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira with the possibility of a title shot in mind.

Should Davis defeat Evans, however, the 205-pound title picture would become somewhat disorganized. In fact, UFC President Dana White has said that although he favors Henderson over Davis in a matchup against Jones, a dominant victory by the rising star could result in Davis getting a shot at the title.

Whatever the outcome, it’s at least clear that Jones will be fighting one of the three in the near future, and that we will know his opponent within the next two weeks.

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