Jones targets UFC London redemption and top 15

Mason Jones says he wants to “show how well he can perform in front of a home crowd” when he takes on Frenchman Axel Sola in London on Saturday, 21 March.

The Welshman was beaten by unanimous decision by Ludovit Klein at the O2 Arena in July 2023, his most recent defeat.

Jones returned to Cage Warriors, winning four fights in a row before signing a new deal with the UFC in February 2025.

Going into the third fight of his second UFC deal ‘The Dragon’ has a chance to banish the demons from that night on which Jones admits he did “everything wrong”.

The 30-year-old is excited to fight on home soil after bouts in the United States and France in his past two outings in the UFC.

“It’s going to be a massive change for me,” he said.

“I fought a Des Moines local in Des Moines, so I was massively away there, then fought a Belgian guy in Paris.

“It’ll be nice to hear the crowd for me for a change.”

Jones is hopeful that a win will push him into contention for a top 15 opponent in the lightweight rankings.

“When I signed back to the UFC, I said three foundational fights, to secure my footings in the UFC, then I’ll get a top 15.

“If I beat Axel Sola on March 21, I’ll be calling for a top 15 opponent.

“If I don’t get one, I’ll get an eliminator for the top 15.”

Jones said it is a prospect the UFC have mentioned in passing.

“They’re interested in seeing me touch that top 15,” he added.

“I’m happy to win points, to outpoint him for three five-minute rounds.

“I’m always looking to finish with the excitement of putting him away, but if I can outpoint him I will.

“If I finish him, they’ll offer me a top 15 fight next fight.”

Standing in Jones’ way is Sola, who defeated Northern Ireland’s Rhys McKee in Paris in September, the same night as Jones’ triumph over Oki.

The Blaenavon native is wary of the threat posed by his opponent.

“Sola is a 6ft 2in (188cm) southpaw, very big and strong.

“He started his career at welterweight, moved back to lightweight and he’s had one win in the UFC.

Jones sees the Frenchman as a “super exciting” opponent.

“He’s long, he’s rangy, he’s powerful, a very dangerous striker and wrestler.

“We’ve worked on lots of specifics, I’ve been doing training camps in lots of different places.

“I’ve been working specifically with southpaws for this camp, which means working with some of the youngsters coming through.”

One of those who Jones has been working with is unbeaten boxer Kyran Jones who boasts a professional record of 13 wins.

In terms of his fighting mentality, Jones is clear in himself.

“There’s three types of fighters,” Jones said.

“Martial artists, the traditional who loves the spirit of it, my partner back home is that type.

“Then there’s the athlete who can just do it and perform, the Jon Jones type.

“Then there’s the figure who loves the violence. I’m the pure fighter, I’m ready for a fight 24/7.

“For me it’s just getting so that I can perform at 100% and make the finishes look spectacular.

“One of the quotes I love is ‘It takes a lot of violence to be this peaceful’. I’m in it because I love the violence of it.”

When asked if he had a message for himself in a year’s time, Jones was bullish about his ambitions.

“You better be chipping away at the top 10, otherwise we’ve given up too much to not want to push.

“I’m getting better all the time, stronger, fitter, I want it more, I’m wiser.

“Everyone in this game wants it, but not everyone wants to put the work in.

“I like to tell myself, either decrease what you want or increase how much you’re willing to put in because you can’t have it both ways.