Jon Jones of the United States of America reacts after his TKO victory against Stipe Miocic of the United States of America at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Fight during the UFC 309 event in Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP
Jon Jones, a legend in mixed martial arts, has retired and interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has been elevated to the undisputed title holder, said UFC President and CEO Dana White Saturday.
“Jon Jones called us last night and retired,” said White during a press conference in Azerbaijan, where UFC Fight Night was held. “Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC.”
Read: Jon Jones sends Stipe Miocic to retirement on UFC 309
Jones, who will be 38 on July 19, has compiled a 28-1 record (11 TKOs) when recording UFC titles in light heavyweight and heavyweight. He was in line for a long -awaited unification with Aspinall, 32, who in November 2023 was the interim -heavyweight champion of the UFC when an injured Jones could not fight.
Engelsman Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 11 TKOS, 1 KO, 8-1 UFC) posted a message on Instagram after the WHITE announcement.
“For your fans. It’s time to get this heavyweight division going,” wrote Aspinall, 32. “An active undisputed champion.”
Jones fought for the last time on November 16, 2024 and won TKO over Stipe Miocic by a third round. Jones has won six consecutive attacks since a no -match with Daniel Cormier on July 29, 2017.
Read: Jon Jones returns to crash and win UFC Heavyweight Crownn
The announcement of White opposed Jones’s own words on Thursday when he appeared on the podcast “Full Send”.
“I don’t want to say that I am retired because fighting is in my blood,” Jones said on the podcast, according to several media reports. “At the moment I really can’t care about fighting. I have done it all my life at a very high level and when the itch comes back – and when it comes back – then I do it with my whole heart, do it to my best capacities.”
“I think I will fight again. Where the future of combat sports are going, it will be great when I appear again.”
Jones has a checkered history from the Octagon, where at the age of 23 he became the youngest UFC title holder with a victory over Mauricio Rua for the 205 pound crown. Jones, who is 16-0 in UFC titles, dealt with legal issues in 2016, was a year-long suspension for testing positive for performance-promoting medicines-a result he disputes.
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