JON JONES is "bulking up" for his long-awaited UFC Heavyweight debut despite having already undergone a drastic body transformation.
The 35-year-old former pound-for pound king has been sitting on the sidelines for almost THREE YEARS. He has been using his time outside of the cage to put the beef on the grill.
Jon Jones is still not allowed to enter the Octagon for nearly three years
Bones spent his spare time to bulk up his once slim frame.
During his hiatus, the former pound-for pound king was busy hammering on the weights
Jones gained a lot of weight during his absence.
He plans to "bulk up" in the future.
Jones, a once-stiff light-heavyweight frame, has been replaced with a muscular physique. However, he isn't done with heavy lifting yet.
Jones was mocked by one fan for his apparent lack of speed in a training video. He tweeted: "I personally don’t feel slow. I’m conscious that I’m not in camp, and I am in bulking phase.
"But I like people judging me that way, it could only work in my favor."
Jones has been motivated by the criticisms of his recent session with bare-knuckle pads.
"For all those who thought I looked slow in my last training video I am grateful for the extra motivation.
"I'll push harder. Can't wait to see your boy in fight shape. Every process has its own purpose.
Jones' weight at the moment is unknown, but his advisor told SunSport in April that Jones was trying to gain 275lbs.
Richard Schaefer stated that Jones was experiencing an extended hiatus. "He felt like he needed more time to gain the right muscles mass."
He's a little over 260 now and wanted to gain 275 lbs.
"Not only do you gain weight, but also gain it in a smart and explosive way. He needed to take a bit longer.
Jones' absence from the cage was partly due to a contract dispute with UFC brass.
Schaefer however, restarted negotiations for the promotion in January, and made tremendous strides to secure a deal that was suitable for his client.
He stated that he was ready, willing and able fight anyone for the heavyweight title.
Jones has not been seen in the Octagon since his controversial defense of the light-heavyweight title from Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, February 2020.
Jones is currently focusing on gaining more size and pursuing fights with Francis Ngannou and Stipe Miocic, who are both former heavyweight champions.
He stated: "Correct me, if I'm mistaken, but I'm pretty certain in Dana's final interviews he stated, "Jon's ready for go, just waiting until to see what happens between Francis and Stipe."
"Right now, I'm focusing my efforts on controlling what I can. That's adding on the pounds."
