Complaints Pile Against Jon Jones as Heavyweight Champion Stalls Entire Division

Top UFC heavyweight raises concerns about Jon Jones' delay, which has caused a concerning delay in his UFC career. 

Complaints Pile Against Jon Jones as Heavyweight Champion Stalls Entire Division

Alexander Volkov accuses Jon Jones of ruining his career by delaying the title unification bout (via Imago/X)

In today’s UFC, fans are growing frustrated watching Jon Jones continually avoid a unification bout with interim champion Tom Aspinall. Often considered the GOAT of MMA, Jones has repeatedly dismissed Aspinall’s rightful claim to a heavyweight title opportunity. Despite his legacy and skillset, many believe that a young and hungry Aspinall does pose the biggest threat to Jones. 

Since winning the heavyweight belt at UFC 285, Jones has only defended it once. It came against a 42-year-old Stipe Miocic. This prolonged delay not only disappointed fans but also created a stalling momentum for other deserving heavyweight contenders. Among them, Alexander Volkov, in a recent interview, shared his frustration over the whole situation and its impact. 

Of course, I have a negative opinion about the delay of the Jones-Aspinall fight, because my chances to fight for the championship title are getting smaller, and time is running…The UFC gives him this privilege, he feels like he is the master of the situation. Jon knows that he will be valuable to the UFC in any case. And he just takes advantage of it… the fact that the UFC allows him to behave this way and shows excessive loyalty to him. 

Volkov is a seasoned UFC heavyweight, and was riding a four-fight win streak before controversially losing to Ciryl Gane at UFC 310 recently. At 36 years old, time is not on his side, and he’s eager to capitalize before aging out of contention completely. Volkov now seeks a fast-track to the title, hoping the UFC grants him a high-stakes opportunity, but the situation isn’t in his favor. 

Jones is a massive draw, consistently delivering huge pay-per-view numbers that translate directly into significant revenue for the UFC. Because of this financial success, Dana White continued supporting him despite his many controversies, legal troubles, and public relations nightmares over time. His ability to generate interest has ensured the promotion tolerates more than it would for less marketable fighters.

Recently, fans questioned why the UFC allegedly stripped Islam Makhachev of his lightweight champion spot but allowed Jones to keep his title. Over forty-one thousand fans have signed an online petition demanding that Jones be stripped, expressing frustration with the perceived double standards. Despite the growing outrage, ‘Bones’ appears unaffected by the controversy, currently enjoying himself and training somewhere in Thailand.

Former rival believes Jon Jones is ducking Tom Aspinall 

Tom Aspinall has persistently called out Jon Jones for over a year, doing everything imaginable to secure that elusive fight. Now disheartened, the UK native feels abandoned, watching his prime years slip away while waiting endlessly for an opportunity that never comes. He’s ready to fight anyone for a paycheck, but the UFC has constantly prevented him from taking any other matchup.

Jon Jones accused of ducking Tom Aspinall
Jon Jones accused of ducking Tom Aspinall (via Imago)

Given the age gap and Aspinall’s incredible knockout power, many believe he’s the strongest contender ever to challenge Jones. The heavyweight champion knows this, so he’s reportedly manipulating circumstances behind the scenes to delay and secure every possible advantage. UFC veteran Daniel Cormier, who fought Jones twice, recently discussed this situation in detail on ESPN MMA.

You can’t come back and take on younger, bigger athletes because he hasn’t done that. When he took all that time off when him and I were fighting, he was the younger athlete, the bigger athlete….This would be the first time where he took off, came back, and fought a truly younger elite competitor… Because you’re a 37-year-old man looking in the rearview window and seeing a 29-year-old kid, he’s going, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to do this’.

Jones previously demanded $30 million and six months to prepare, but now the chances of that fight seem extremely slim. He recently went viral discussing possible retirement, sparking speculation and concern about his future intentions as the heavyweight champion. According to Jones, he has already informed UFC executives, but the promotion continues keeping his decision hidden from the public for now.

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