It has been a bit of a topsy-turvy year for Jon Jones, but you can check returning to the Octagon off his list of things to do for 2016. The former light heavyweight champion headlined UFC 197 against late replacement Ovince St. Preux.
If Jones was looking to knock off some of the ring rust he’d accumulated during his nearly 16-month absence, he sure gave himself ample time. Jones used the entire 25-minute allotment to batter “OSP” on his way to a one-sided unanimous decision. It wasn’t Jones’ most inspiring performance, but it whetted everyone’s apatite for the main course: a rematch between Jones and arch-rival Daniel Cormier, who now holds the belt Jones never lost in the cage.