Former light heavyweight champion and now former heavyweight champion Jon Jones has officially retired. After 7 months of inactivity and years of ducking Tom Aspinall, Jones has now retired. Dana White announced Jones’ retirement in the post-fight press conference of UFC Baku, looking utterly miserable as he announced Jones called him to say he’sretired. As a result, Dana revealed that Tom is now the new undisputed champion and finally, the heavyweight division can move on.
Jones Makes Announcement
Following Dana announcing the retirement, Jones took to Twitter to give his say. He said, “Today, I’m officially announcing my retirement from the UFC. This decision comes after a lot of reflection, and I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the journey I’ve experienced over the years. From the first time I stepped into the Octagon, my goal was to push the boundaries of what was possible in this sport. Becoming the youngest UFC champion in history, defending my title against some of the best fighters in the world, and sharing unforgettable moments with fans across the globe—these are memories I’ll cherish forever. I’ve faced incredible highs and some tough lows, but every challenge has taught me something valuable and made me stronger, both as a fighter and as a person.”
Jones also offered his thanks saying, “I want to thank the UFC, Dana, Hunter, Lorenzo, God, my family, coaches, teammates, and all the fans who have stood by me through every chapter. Your unwavering support and belief in me have been my foundation. To my fellow fighters, thank you for bringing out the best in me and for the respect we’ve shared inside and outside the cage. As I close this chapter of my life, I look forward to new opportunities and challenges ahead.MMA will always be a part of who I am, and I’m excited to see how I can continue to contribute to the sport and inspire others in new ways. Thank you all for being part of this incredible journey with me. The best is yet to come.”
So Jon Jones made his statement and is seemingly retired for the foreseeable future. Jones could return at some point, but that seems likely given his age and attitude.
Aspinall Responds
Not long after Dana and Jones’ statements, Aspinall was quick to make a response. He took to Instagram and YouTube to respond. His Instagram response was just a post of Dana’s announcement. He also had the caption “For you fans. It’s time to get this Heavyweight division going 🔥 An active Undisputed Champion 👊”.
His YouTube video was titled “The Story Of The UFC Undisputed Heavyweight Champion- Tom Aspinall”. It was largely a compilation of his career so far but the final few minutes was Aspinall speaking.
He said, “Right, everyone, the news has broken. I’m sure everyone has seen it, UFC undisputed heavyweight champion of the world moving forward. Very very important to me to just that I acknowledge everybody quickly. Who has supported me in this uh I’m not going to say it was a tough time but a bit of a challenging time. Over the last 10-11 months I have been inactive due to no fault of my own. But, luckily that is all behind us now.”
He then went on to say, “Massively appreciate the support from everybody massively appreciate the support going forward. I am going to keep this thing as active as possible. I want to be the best heavyweight ever to walk the face of the earth. I’m going to defend this thing as many times as I possibly can. I’m going to keep you guys entertained. Now, I’m really going to give back to everybody who has shown me support over the last year, over the last 5 years, over the last 10years. Appreciate the support and love from everybody. And we’re going to see an active, defending, UFC undisputed heavyweight champion going forward. Thank you guys and I’ll speak to you soon.”
Implications
No doubt we will now see an active heavyweight champion that we’re rid of Jon Jones. Most likely what will be next is Aspinall vs Gane and hopefully soon. Gane is currently the number 1 contender following his win over Volkov. Despite the controversy surrounding the decision on paper Gane should be the next fight. Gane is also a fresh match-up for Aspinall and will make for an interesting fight.
What Jones’ departure also means is generally a more active heavyweight division. Due to the uncertainty regarding the title picture, not many top heavyweights have been fighting. But now, with a clear champion who will be fighting the rest of the division, it can come to life.
With Aspinall now being able to be active we can also see him fulfil his potential. Throughout his UFC run, Aspinall has looked unstoppable, and we will now be able to see that tested. Jon Jones avoided him for a reason and now we get to see him in action again. We could be looking at an all-time great with how skilled and destructive Aspinall has looked, and now he can prove it. Now we wait and see when the new undisputed champion will have his next defence scheduled.
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images & Getty Images
