Jon Jones Rejects Usyk Boxing Fight, Keeps UFC Return Door Open at 39

Q: Is Deontay Wilder a true final challenge for Usyk or simply the most profitable farewell opponent?

Deontay Wilder looks more like Usyk’s most profitable farewell opponent than his toughest final challenge. The case for Wilder is commercial and symbolic. Usyk has vacated his belts, freeing himself from mandatory defenses and allowing him to choose a final fight on his own terms. His team has openly framed the retirement bout around the right partner, venue and scale, and Wilder remains one of the biggest names available. An Usyk-Wilder fight is easy to market, especially in the United States, and Wilder’s camp has already signaled it is open if the terms are right. As a sporting test, Wilder still carries real danger because his right hand can change any heavyweight fight. He is also a former long-reigning WBC champion, so beating him would help Usyk complete a résumé that already includes Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois. In that sense, Wilder is a legitimate legacy name. But the evidence suggests he is no longer the most formidable version of himself. Wilder is nearing 40, has gone 3-4 in his last seven fights, and his recent losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang reinforced the view that he is past his peak. Even after his April 2026 win over Derek Chisora, he is seen as diminished compared with the “Bronze Bomber” who once ruled the division. So Wilder is both a credible name and a dangerous puncher, but above all he fits the profile of a high-revenue, lower-risk farewell opponent rather than Usyk’s ultimate competitive test.

Q: With Jon Jones demanding MMA rules, who is truly avoiding the tougher challenge in a cross-sport superfight?

Neither man is clearly “ducking” the tougher challenge; each is protecting his edge by insisting on his own sport. But if the question is which ruleset creates the steeper competitive jump, MMA is plainly the harsher ask for Usyk. Jones has openly ruled out boxing Usyk, despite calling him a heavyweight boxing great. That means Jones is avoiding the pure boxing test against one of the era’s best technicians, an undefeated champion who beat Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois. In that sense, Jones is declining the riskier challenge in Usyk’s discipline. At the same time, Jones’ demand for MMA rules is not arbitrary. MMA requires striking, wrestling, clinch work, submissions and defense in multiple phases. Usyk has a combat background beyond boxing, but he is not an active MMA fighter, while Jones is one of the sport’s most accomplished champions. Historical cross-sport evidence strongly favors the MMA specialist when grappling and takedowns are introduced. Under that ruleset, Usyk would be taking the bigger leap. The practical reality is that Usyk is preparing a retirement boxing match, not a code-switch into MMA. Wilder’s camp has said it is open to a boxing bout, making that matchup far more realistic. So the fairest reading is this: Jones is avoiding the boxing challenge, Usyk would be avoiding the MMA challenge, and the tougher overall transition belongs to the boxer if the fight is held under MMA rules.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 17

Jon Jones said he will not box Oleksandr Usyk but is not ready to retire from MMA, saying he is still in the UFC drug-testing pool and leaving a comeback possible.
Usyk speculation flared after the unified heavyweight champion said he was vacating his titles for a retirement “last dance,” but Jones told Ring Magazine he would not “handicap” himself by fighting under boxing-only rules.
Jones said he would face Usyk only in a broader combat setting, arguing the boxer’s wrestling helps in the clinch but does not make him a “complete fighter.”
The former UFC champion briefly retired in 2025, then reversed course while chasing a spot on the UFC White House card; he now says coaching Gable Steveson is fulfilling, even if it does not fully replace competing.