Sorry, Aspinall! Retirement-Nearing Jones ‘Focusing On GOAT Things’
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Jon Jones isn’t wavering on fans’ desire to see him fight the interim Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans haven’t seen the undisputed UFC Heavyweight, Jones, in action since he won the title in a vacant affair against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023 (watch highlights). Although Jones has been booked to defend his title against Stipe Miocic afterward, the planned UFC 295 clash in November 2023 fell apart after Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle.
England’s Aspinall has held down the fort atop UFC’s heaviest division in Jones’ absence, capturing and defending the interim title against Sergei Pavlovich (watch highlights) and Curtis Blaydes (watch highlights). Despite all his success and official label as the interim champion, Jones and UFC aren’t budging on the Miocic match up, which prompted a Jones rant on Twitter today (Tues., Aug. 20, 2024).
“Looks like Tom displaying that amazing UK wrestling,” Jones quote tweeted a video of Aspinall wrestling. “My focus is on stipe, he actually wrestled division one. Best heavyweight of all time as of right now. Maybe Tom will go on and beat stipes record one day, right now I’m focusing on goat things.
“Haha man, you guys have been really begging me lately,” he continued. “Is the heavyweight division really that boring without me? The beautiful thing about being my position is, I’m not defined by one fight. Most of you grew up watching me win”
Jones’ inevitable fight with Miocic has been expected to be a double-retirement fight, making the insistence on having the title on the line more questionable for some in the community. From Miocic’s end, Jones will “100 percent” be his last fight, according to UFC CEO, Dana White.
As 2024 goes on, Jones continues to hint it may indeed be his last as well.
“I guess there was a video that resurfaced recently of me saying that after Stipe, Francis [Ngannou] was the only fight I was interested in,” Jones tweeted. “That video was recorded well over a year ago. That was recorded before I got injured, before there was an intern champion crowned. I had already voiced that I wasn’t interested in any more randoms. Now magically I’m ducking a fight that’s never been negotiated or discussed at any table that matters. Lol I’m sticking to my plans, Jon Jones jumps for no one. How many belts does one need? How many times do I have to break my own record?
“There are fighters literally all over the world that think in the back of their mind I can beat Jon Jones,” he continued. “There will be no statues of you. Go out and win more, make your name greater, that is the only way you do it.
“I’m 37 years old now, I’ve kicked everyone’s ass,” Jones concluded. “My job is to finish strong and make an amazing movie. [winking kiss emoji] go join Tom Brady, Floyd Mayweather, and all the other retired bad asses.”
As he nears 40, Jones has taken minimal damage along with wear and tear throughout his 29-fight career (27-1, 1 no contest). He was a regular among defending champions as Light Heavyweight’s finest throughout the 2010s but has only fought twice this decade, including the Gane win. Before that, Jones closed the 205-pound chapter of his career with a unanimous decision title defense over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020.
“It feels good to know on the way out your sport was literally begging you to continue,” Jones tweeted. “You never know, maybe the Ufc will offer me a deal I can’t refuse. from my point of view [beating Miocic] seems like an amazing way to finish this good work I started so long ago.”
