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Dana White announced earlier this week that we will find out "in a few weeks" what will happen to the fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. The UFC is known for its penchant for making fights that fans want the most, but unfortunately, that fight will not happen.
After a top UFC event in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, White revealed that Jon Jones has made the decision to retire from professional sports. That's why he turned down the fight against Aspinall.
"Jon Jones called us last night and retired. Jon Jones is officially retired, and Tom Aspinall is now the UFC heavyweight champion," Dana said, shocking everyone present.
Jones has been hinting at the possibility of retirement lately. A few weeks ago, he said,
"I'm absolutely not thinking about coming back and fighting," but he didn't rule out the possibility of a return if he feels motivated again. However, it seems that he has finally decided to stop.
Dana also said:
"Do I regret giving him so much time to make up his mind? Look, if you look at what he's accomplished, of course I don't regret it. It is what it is. Of course, I feel sorry for Tom because he lost a lot of time and obviously money, but we'll make it up to him. Tom Aspinall is a good guy and he's been amazing throughout the whole process. He's ready to fight anytime, anywhere, and now he's our heavyweight champion. I'm excited for the collaboration that lies ahead."
Retirement
The 37-year-old Jones leaves the sport as probably the greatest fighter in MMA history. While there were problems with doping and some banned techniques, the focus is now on his incredible results.
He ended his career with 30 professional matches, of which 28 were wins, one loss and one "no contest". That "no contest" is a rematch against Daniel Cormier, canceled due to a doping test. He has only lost once, by disqualification against Matt Hamill, although he dominated that fight.
This great UFC highlight was winning the light heavyweight title in 2011 by knockout in the third round against Mauricio “Shogun” Rue, at just 23 years old. It's important to note that Jones was the youngest UFC champion ever.
The experienced fighter has defended his title 11 times, the most in UFC history, and has fought 17 fights for the belt, winning 16 times. His collection includes names such as Stipe Miočić, Daniel Cormier, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida and other top fighters.
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