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Jon Jones opens up on the ‘scary’ opponent he never got the chance to face in the UFC

Originally posted on HITC | By Ross Markey | Last updated Nov 8, 2025 10:05 AM ET

Jon Jones went up against just about everyone who mattered in the light heavyweight division during his UFC career, but there was one name missing from his record.

He spent two separate spells as champion at 205 pounds before finally making the move to heavyweight, something fans had been calling for over a long time. When he did make the switch, he wasted no time in making an impact.

He won the title on his debut and has not shown any signs of leaving the division since. With a fight against Alex Pereira on the table for next summer’s massive UFC White House event, ‘Bones’ has every reason to stay put.

Looking back over his career, though, there is still one bout he wishes had happened during his run at light heavyweight – a fight that could have defined an already storied legacy.

Jon Jones admits regret over missed Anthony Johnson fight

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Back in 2015, Jones was supposed to defend his title against Anthony Johnson, but the fight never took place.

The UFC 187 headliner was then filled by an interim title bout between Johnson and Cormier, and Jones – while speaking on No Scripts podcast – later opened up on missing that particular match-up.

“I ended up getting in trouble and wasn’t able to fight. Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson is one of the scariest, yet most respectful people ever,” he began by saying.

“At the same time, somewhere in my heart, I was glad that it didn’t happen. He was a scary cat. He really intimidated me a lot, but that’s my job to go out there against guys that are very intimidating and put myself on the line.”

Jones and Johnson had one memorable moment before their scheduled fight. The two faked a scuffle during a press conference, giving UFC president Dana White a bit of a shock at the time.

Jon Jones keeps up war of words with Tom Aspinall

Jones has never shied away from making headlines, and his ongoing feud with current heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is no exception.

After their match-up fell through, he did not hold back after Aspinall’s No Contest against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321, questioning the Brit’s mental toughness in the aftermath.

This week, Jones doubled down on those comments, continuing to fire shots at the reigning champion and showing no signs of letting up anytime soon, as reported by Bloody Elbow.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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