Jones has cooled on the idea of fighting his next challenger, should he defeat Miocic. British fighter Tom Aspinall has held down the division as interim heavyweight champion — a title necessitated by Jones’ lengthy absence — and has been chirping for months about a unification bout.

When Jon Jones steps into the cage Saturday at UFC 309, it’ll mark more than 16 years that he’s competed as a professional fighter. The UFC snagged him within his first year of competition. He fought six times regionally before the promotion came calling. All eight of those bouts occurred between April and July 2008.

From the files of having your cake and eating it, too, it has been difficult to come to terms with Jon Jones' self-narrative of late as the often reclusive UFC legend has resurfaced in the media cycle entering just his second bout in a span approaching five full years.