Jon Jones has a new “home base” as he prepares for his 2022 return to the UFC.
Four weeks after being banned from Jackson Wink MMA, Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) said Thursday that he’s training at a different Albuquerque, N.M.-based gym that bears one of the same names.
Jones, 34, has shifted to Jackson’s MMA Acoma, which is headed by experienced MMA professional Nick Urso, who competed on the inaugural season of “Dana White’s Contender Series.”
“I want to sincerely thank Gym owner/ coach Nick Urso and everyone at the original Jackson’s MMA program for allowing me to call their dojo my new home base,” Jones wrote on Instagram. “I was so proud to see the condition of the gym, it was so well taken care of and the energy felt amazing exactly the way it was before. It has wonderful memories of my time learning from GSP, Sugar Evans, The dean of mean and so many more. I won my first world title out of this gym. I am grateful to have this comfortable place for both my local and visiting training partners to come enjoy. The best is yet to come!”
For the weeks following his departure from Jackson Wink, Jones trained out of his home gym. While coaches Greg Jackson and Brandon Gibson were willing to work with Jones, coach Mike Winkeljohn was bothered by the former UFC light heavyweight champion’s recent arrest for misdemeanor battery domestic violence and felony tampering and injuring a vehicle after he allegedly assaulted his fiancee. Jones is due back in court Nov. 30.
According to Winkeljohn, Jones would’ve been welcomed back to Jackson Wink if he fixed some things. However, Jones announced Sunday he will not return.
Jones, 34, has not competed since February 2020 when he defeated Dominick Reyes by split decision. Since then, Jones vacated his 205-pound title and shifted his focus to competing at heavyweight – all the while in a turbulent relationship with UFC president Dana White and the promotion.
Jon Jones starts training at Greg Jackson affiliate gym, calls it ‘new home base’
