Jon Jones expects to make UFC heavyweight bow in ‘second quarter’ of 2022 after ‘guaranteed’ pay rise from Dana White

JON JONES expects to challenge for the UFC heavyweight title in the 'second quarter of 2022'.

The former long-reigning light-heavyweight champion has been on the sidelines for the last 19 months preparing for his eagerly-anticipated move up in weight.

Jones' hiatus has in part been down to a pay row with the UFC brass, which has seemingly come to an end.

When asked to provide an update on his return, he said: "I think it will be some time in the second quarter of 2022."

Jones' sights are set solely on a historic clash with current heavyweight king Francis Ngannou, who will take part in a unification bout with interim champ Ciryl Gane early next year.

The future UFC Hall-of-Famer said: "Fighting for the title is what I want the most, for sure.

"I want to fight in the biggest fights. And I think the title fights are going to be the biggest fights.

"If there was someone that was a bigger star than Francis at heavyweight that didn't have the title, then I would go for that.

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"But I think Francis is the biggest star at heavyweight, him and I.

"And he has the title, so that's what I want."

Jones, 34, demanded the UFC pay him upwards of £7.2million ($10m) to fight Ngannou, the promotion's first African-born heavyweight champion.

But the top brass refused to meet the demands of the New Yorker, who subsequently sidelined himself until next year.

But according to Bones, UFC chief Dana White has 'guaranteed' him a bump up in pay.

I think it will be some time in the second quarter of 2022

Jon Jones on his long-awaited UFC return

He said: "Dana, he guaranteed me that he would give me an increase in my next fight.

"I think it's going to be pay-per-view based. So I'm going to have to work for it, I'm going to have to sell the fight.

"I think that's something I haven't been good at in the past.

"You look at guys like [Conor] McGregor, who talks so much s**t and is so good at it.

"So good at it and so good at marketing himself. I have always just focused on winning.

"And I think when I come back as a heavyweight, I'll try to do more legally controversial sh*t so that I can maybe sell a little more pay-per-views."

Jones - who is regarded by many to be the greatest mixed martial artist of all time - hasn't set foot inside the octagon since his unanimous decision victory over Dominick Reyes last February at UFC 247.

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