Jon Jones will return to UFC on April 23, posts hulked out pics on social media

Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

Jon Jones has never truly been beaten in the Octagon. The one defeat on his record was a DQ for throwing illegal elbows in a fight he was utterly dominating against Matt Hamill. The mistakes that cost him his title happened outside the cage when he had to plead guilty to hit and run and got 18 months probation in New Mexico.

The UFC responded by stripping his belt and suspending him from the organization.

Now he’s got his legal issues resolved and the UFC has rescinded its suspension of him. And based on the pic he posted on Instagram (via MMA Mania) he’s taking his training very seriously indeed.

Off season 2013 vs. off season 2015. Five more months to prepare for this win. I’ll be sure to be at my best April 23rd. #NewLevels

Current UFC LHW champ Daniel Cormier took the vacant title by beating Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 187 in May. He has since defended the belt against Jones’ nemesis Alexander Gustafsson in a hard-fought split decision win at UFC 192 in October. Jones beat Cormier by dominant unanimous decision in January at UFC 182 and is no doubt eager to reclaim the title.

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About the author

Nate Wilcox

Nate Wilcox is the founding editor of BloodyElbow.com. As such he has hired every editor and writer to work for the site. Wilcox’s writing for BE is known for its emphasis on MMA history, the evolution of fighting techniques and strong opinions. Wilcox developed the SBN MMA consensus rankings which were featured in USA Today from 2009 to 2011. Before founding BE, Wilcox was a political operative working for such figures as Senators John Kerry and Mark Warner and an early political blogger. He is the co-author of Netroots Rising, a history of the political blogosphere from 2003 to 2007. Wilcox also hosts the Let It Roll podcast on music history for the Pantheon Podcast Network.