Dana White’s Top P4P Fighter Jon Jones Retires! Heavyweight Drama Comes to End

Breaking! UFC CEO Dana White confirms Jon Jones retired last night, making Tom Aspinall the rightful UFC HW undisputed king.

Dana White’s Top P4P Fighter Jon Jones Retires! Heavyweight Drama Comes to End

Jon Jones - Tom Aspinall saga ends with shock retirement, per CEO Dana White (Source: X/IMAGO)

UFC Baku had its moments. But the most bitter-sweet happenstance was Dana White telling the UFC on ABC 8 Fight Night post-fight media scrum that Jon Jones has retired! Good riddance for those wanting UFC interim heavyweight Tom Aspinall to get his dues. But a bad mark in MMA history, that just missed out on yet another super fight, fans had been clamoring for.

UFC Baku in Azerbaijan did have its moments, good or bad. From last week’s headliner‘s younger brother, Mohammed Usman, winning, Myktybek Orolbai‘s deltoid-denting kimura technique, and Nazim Sadykhov had an exciting output to Khalil Rountree‘s dominating win.

However, the biggest surprise (not per UFC heavyweight “Bones” who told UFC Execs of his plan) came in the post-fight presser, with UFC CEO Dana White saying Jon Jones has hung it up.

Jon Jones called us last night and retired, ...Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the Heavyweight champion of UFC.
Dana White during UFC on ABC 8 post-fight backstage fighter interviews

It was to be expected when Jones ended Dana White’s teases of saying yes to PPV title unification and hinted he might even fight Aspinall at DBX2, but never in his UFC tenure! Good news for Tom Aspinall, though; the UK Native had touted he’d retired the GOAT without even fighting, and he did.

That in itself is a good thing, too, because after seven months of stretching out PPV monetary compensation amounts and what it’d take, Aspinall was still hung out to dry. Matter of fact, he had edged over and is now the official longest-reigning interim champ in active competition. Well, no more; he is now the active, default undisputed HW — and has designs on where to go from here on. 

Tom Aspinall issues first statement after Jon Jones’ Retirement

The UK Heavyweight, 32, snagged the interim UFC hardware when Jones was out on pectoral tear, in November of 2023. From then on, it has been a weird logjam, with Jones not preferring this match-up as it’d do nothing to his longevity or legacy despite the multi-million PPV super fight stakes.

Tom Aspinall reacts to new crowning as undisputed champ over Jon Jones
Tom Aspinall reacts to new crowning as undisputed champ over Jon Jones (Source: X)

The PPV title unifier was always in a limbo, despite headman Dana White saying (as of June 7th) that it’d happen. Jones himself guarded his gold or contended in the 265-pound ranks in just two ballot appearances, over five years! He, nonchalantly as always, was indifferent to it and even doubled and tripled down on legacy retirement, having had done enough in his competition tenure.

Now, the current announcement has daggered that sentiment in, that he’d rather hang it up for good. Aspinall has thus been dashed as the active champ in contention. The Brit did not waste much time taking the crown and addressing the fight community masses.

For you fans. It’s time to get this Heavyweight division going 🔥 An active Undisputed Champion 👊
Tom Aspinall via IG

UFC Social’s Europe page, Veronica Hardy, Arnold Allen, Renato Moicano’s Official podcast page, and even other peers have poured in their best wishes on socials. It’s unclear what Aspinall’s first challenge will be with undisputed gold, but it will certainly be an interesting one.

Top contenders Ciryl Gane and Jailton Almeida are not currently booked, but that could change. Neither fighter has faced Aspinall in the past; Alexander Volkov, with a 4-1 momentum in his past few, did face him and previously wished on a rematch if a spot opened up.

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