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Defending Pro Motocross champion Jett Lawrence has admitted that his recovery from the ankle injury that ruled him out of 450SX has been ‘a slow process’, continuing his rehabilitation in an effort to make the 450MX season.

Lawrence, 22, sustained fractured talus and navicular bones in December, causing him to miss Monster Energy Supercross altogether while he targets the opening round of outdoors in Pala on May 30.

“We’re doing better,” Lawrence said on the NBC broadcast in Nashville. “It’s been a kind of a slow process – it hasn’t been as easy as the ACL, for sure. But we’re getting there. We kind of just started riding a little bit on flat, it’s honestly been helping a lot with the vibration from the bike.

“It’s kind of broke up the scar tissue in it, that the hands can’t really get to, you know? So it’s a slow process… it’s pissing me off, because I just want to get back to normal, and I’m missing racing a lot, but we’re getting back slowly bit by bit.”

Lawrence – who won the 450MX crown in 2023 and 2025 – remains confident that he will be fit to line up for the opening round of Pro Motocross, but isn’t certain that he will be at 100 percent fitness in just over one month’s time at Fox Raceway.

“I would say yes,” he said of making the outdoors. “It’s just, a lot of the injuries I’m having and new injuries, so I have no experience in these fields – I’m hoping it’s this, but you never know. A talus bone is very finicky, it doesn’t get a lot of blood flow, so it’s just kind of a slow process, and we’re just taking it week by week on how I’m feeling.”

With reigning 250MX champion Haiden Deegan stepping up to the premier class this summer, Lawrence is looking forward to the added challenge ahead, but is aware that the title fight will be broader than only himself and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing standout Deegan.

“I’m excited,” added Lawrence. “You know, I think any new challenges for me adds a little bit extra motivation and wanting to do good, but at the same time, I still have to be careful about Eli [Tomac] – he’s looking great on the KTM. My brother, Hunter [Lawrence], he’s looking even better than last year, and [Jorge] Prado as well. He’s back a KTM, like he was in Europe, used to that bike in outdoors, so he’ll be good. Chase [Sexton], too, he can be fast any time he wants, you know?

“There are a lot of guys that not only I have to be careful of and make sure I execute to beat, but [Deegan] has to, as well. It’ll be exciting. I think it’s gonna be really exciting for the sport. Obviously someone new coming up, they always love a new kid who’s coming up that’s been doing well on 250, and they always want to see how they stack up against the 450.

“I love outdoors. I feel like I’m better and outdoors, because it’s not as restricting. I’m just praying and hoping that I’m at 100 percent, because I know if I’m at 100 percent by the time we are at Pala, I know I have a good chance, and I believe what I can do. I think it’ll be a fun, fun summer.”