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Manager Says Jon Jones May Never Return to the UFC

Jon Jones Says He Has ‘Maybe 3’ Fights Left at Light Heavyweight

Brock Lesnar is not going to fight in the Octagon ever again. Georges St-Pierre looks more and more by each passing day that he won’t return to the UFC. Anderson Silva says he’s coming back, but is mired in the midst of drug testing turmoil after results showed steroids in his system.

What if Jon Jones never returns? What if Jon Jones’ recent struggles necessitate that he work on himself instead of his career? What if Jon Jones just decides he’s had enough?

Jones is currently free on a $2,500 bond in Albuquerque, N.M. following a felony charge of Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Bodily Harm or Death. Jones allegedly ran a red light and smashed his rented SUV into a car, which, in turn, smashed into another car. The driver of the car he allegedly smashed into suffered a fractured arm and wrist. Jones then fled the scene on foot, reportedly without so much as checking to see if anyone was injured.

He currently faces the possibility of three years in prison if he is convicted.

RELATED > Legal Analyst Says Jon Jones Could Face Three Years in Prison

His longtime manager, Malki Kawa, said on Monday that when we watched Jones defeat Daniel Cormier at UFC 182, it might have been the last time that we’ll ever see Jones step into the Octagon.

“He’s focusing on himself right now. It could very well be the last time we’ve seen Jon Jones in the Octagon,” Kawa said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I think Jon Jones is gonna focus on Jon Jones. I think he’s gonna take the time to do whatever he’s gotta do. And if it’s the last time we’ve seen him fight, it’s the last time we’ve seen him fight. I’m okay with that.

“If he ever doesn’t come back to the sport, it’s because he doesn’t want to come back to the sport. If it was because of too much pressure? Could be. If it’s because of the belt? Could be. If it’s because the competition is too much? It could be. Whatever he decides is the reason why he won’t come back to the sport, but it’ll be solely on him.

“I’m not gonna blame anything or anyone for anything Jon Jones does. And no one, at the same token, can take credit for anything Jon Jones does. Everything that’s Jon Jones’ is Jon Jones’. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Kawa went on to say that he understood the UFC’s decision to take action against Jones, but that’s not to say he agreed with it. He said he could understand some sort of suspension, but vehemently disagreed with stripping Jones of the UFC light heavyweight championship.

RELATED > Jon Jones Stripped of UFC Title, Suspended Indefinitely

While it certainly sounded like Kawa was leaning towards Jones stepping away from MMA, he said he was 50-50 on whether he felt Jones would walk away or not. He wouldn’t, however, lay the blame on the UFC or anyone else, if his client and friend eventually decides to never return to the UFC.

“If this is the last time we’ve ever seen him fight, and it very well may be, then it’s because of a decision he’s decided to make. It won’t be because of something you guys are perceiving to be a problem. It won’t be because of any of the negative headlines of the positive things he’s done. It’s just because he feels he’s had it. Maybe that’s it.

“But I really do believe at the end of the day, he’s the greatest of all time inside the Octagon. No one can take that away from him.”

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