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Jon Jones went on a prolonged rant on social media on Tuesday, after Tom Aspinall made a comedic video in which he accused the UFC champion of ‘ducking’ him.
Jones, the consensus greatest light-heavyweight ever, won the heavyweight title in March 2023 – his first fight in three years – and has not fought since. The 37-year-old was due to defend the belt against ex-champion Stipe Miocic, 42, in November 2023, but suffered an injury that derailed the bout.
Britain’s Aspinall went on to fight Sergei Pavlovich for the interim title, stopping the Russian in round one to win the gold. With Jones and Miocic still set to face each other, apparently this November, Aspinall defended and retained the interim belt in July – in a rare case for the UFC.
Since that first-round knockout of Curtis Blaydes in Manchester, Aspinall has increased his calls to fight Jones, but the American has hinted that he could retire after facing Miocic. And Jones doubled down on that sentiment on Tuesday (20 August), after Aspinall posted a video mocking him.
Replying to a fan on X/Twitter, Jones wrote: “[Stipe is the] best heavyweight of all time as of right now. Maybe Tom will go on and beat stipes [sic] record one day, right now i’m focusing on goat [greatest of all time] things.”
Replying to another user, he said: “You guys have been really begging me lately. Is the heavyweight division really that boring without me?
“The beautiful thing about being in my position is, I’m not defined by one fight,” Jones added. “Most of you grew up watching me win.”
He then replied to yet another fan – one of many accusing Jones of avoiding Aspinall – writing: “It feels good to know on the way out [that] your sport was literally begging you to continue. You never know, maybe the Ufc will offer me a deal I can’t refuse.”
Jones hit back again when one user claimed that a win over Miocic, who has not fought since losing to Francis Ngannou via first-round knockout in 2021, would prove nothing. Jones wrote: “Interesting, from my point of view it seems like an amazing way to finish this good work I started so long ago.”
Jones is a former two-time light-heavyweight champion, who was twice stripped of the belt. His first reign ended due to legal issues outside the ring, and his second reign ended due to a failed drug test.
Jones later thought he had won the title a third time, but his victory was overturned due to another failed drug test.
