Jon Jones addressed criticism for allegedly avoiding a fight with Tom Aspinall, stating his career decisions are focused on crafting a legacy and expressing interest in a champion vs. champion bout with Alex Pereira after his upcoming fight with Stipe Miocic.
Jon Jones has a message for those claiming he’s ducking Tom Aspinall. In a chat with Kevin Iole, Jones expressed interest in a champion vs. champion fight with light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira after his clash with Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. “Bones” holds the record as the most successful 205-pound champ in UFC history. A fight with Pereira would attract massive attention.
But there’s more to the story. Tom Aspinall, interim heavyweight champ and ranked No. 1 by MMA Fighting, has been eyeing Jones for a while now. Aspinall has already defended his title once. Meanwhile, Jones hasn’t fought since March 2023 due to a pectoral injury that delayed his fight with Miocic by a year.
Fans and media have criticized Jones for not defending against Aspinall, the rightful challenger. Jones fired back at his critics in a tweet he later deleted. The tweet read: “I’m going to hide in my mansion and not come outside, people are calling me a duck come on ho my world is over.” He added, “what is this high school? lol.”
After deleting the tweet, Jones posted a more thoughtful response. He emphasized that every decision he makes is purposeful and not driven by hype or opinions of others. His focus is on crafting a legacy that speaks for itself.
Jones is considered one of the greatest fighters ever due to his light heavyweight reign, where he defended his title 11 times. However, controversies like a 2015 hit-and-run and a failed drug test in 2016 marred his career. He also captured the heavyweight title by defeating Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.
Update: Aspinall has responded to Jones’ comments from the interview. And so, the saga continues…