Jon Jones has retired from UFC, making Tom Aspinall the undisputed heavyweight champion, as confirmed by UFC CEO Dana White.
Jon Jones has officially retired, leaving Tom Aspinall as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. This surprising news was announced by UFC CEO Dana White during a post-fight press conference in Baku. Apparently, Jones called the UFC to say he was hanging up his gloves.
“Jon Jones called us last night and retired,” White stated. “Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC.” Jones later confirmed his retirement in a personal statement.
Interestingly, White had been trying to book a fight between Jones and Aspinall, but Jones’s decision seems final. Just recently, Jones expressed indifference towards fighting, yet he hesitated to use the word “retirement.” Now, he’s made it official, allowing the heavyweight division to move forward.
Jones’ retirement comes seven months after his victory over Stipe Miocic. His indecision had put the division on pause, but White doesn’t regret giving him time. “Do I regret the time that I gave him? No,” White said. “It is what it is.”
Meanwhile, Aspinall has shown remarkable patience throughout the process. Though he missed the chance to fight one of the greatest, he now holds the championship title. White praised Aspinall, promising to make up for lost time and opportunities.
White expressed confidence in Aspinall’s future, highlighting his willingness to fight anyone, anywhere. “Aspinall’s been great. He’s going to be a great heavyweight champion for us,” White said. The next contenders for Aspinall could be Ciryl Gane or Jailton Almeida, both strong competitors in the division.