During the post-fight press conference at UFC Baku, UFC president and CEO Dana White dropped the bombshell news that Jon Jones had informed UFC officials of his retirement, and as a result, Tom Aspinall has been elevated to undisputed champion status.
“Jon Jones called us last night and retired,” White told reporters backstage at Baku Crystal Hall.
“Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC.”
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The news brings to an end a long and frustrating period of inactivity at the top of the UFC heavyweight division.
Jones announced his move up to heavyweight amid excitement and anticipation over a potential clash with then heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. However, with no sign of Jones announcing his readiness to compete, Ngannou ended up departing the UFC for PFL, leaving the belt vacant.
With the title up for grabs, Jones then faced French contender Ciryl Gane and defeated him with ease to capture the title. A bout between Jones and heavyweight all-time great Stipe Miocic was then booked, but after the bout was pushed back, by the time the pair met, Miocic was on the verge of retirement and looked a shadow of the man who had ruled the division years prior as Jones won the fight convincingly.
During this spell, England’s Aspinall had returned from a one year layoff after knee reconstruction surgery to surge up the heavyweight ranks, and knocked out Sergei Pavlovich to capture the interim title.
But Aspinall’s chance at fighting for the undisputed title was sidelined, with the UFC locked into fulfilling the delayed Jones-Miocic fight. But UFC boss White declared at the press conference that the winner should “absolutely” fight Aspinall next. But, once Jones had defeated Miocic, and with the coast clear, Jones poured cold water on the prospect of facing the Englishman.
That sparked a social media back-and-forth between the two heavyweights, with Aspinall stating his wish to simply fight for the undisputed title, regardless of who is holding it. Meanwhile, Jones took shots at Aspinall, calling him an “a**hole,” “annoying,” and not someone who excites him as an opponent. It led to accusations of ducking, and Aspinall leaned into that narrative when he arrived Octagonside at a UFC event holding a flashing toy duck for the cameras. He also stated that he’d retire Jon Jones without ever having to fight him.
Based on recent events, that statement seems to have been proved correct.
