Jon Jones Lauded for ‘Finest’ Social Media Spark Since UFC Retirement U-Turn by Outspoken Bitter Old Rival

Will a White House card see a GOAT candidate return? UFC fighter Jon Jones' social media presence has been lauded for its profound teases.

Jon Jones Lauded for ‘Finest’ Social Media Spark Since UFC Retirement U-Turn by Outspoken Bitter Old Rival

Jon Jones praised for ‘his finest work’ on social media by ex-UFC rival (Source: X)

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UFC CEO Dana White brought it to notice that Jon Jones was retiring in the last month. The former UFC 205-pound and 265-pound champ was seemingly out of the fight game. However, one way or the other, ‘Bones’ is able to stay on track and keep his name well within the news cycle.

Jon Jones notably caught the biggest flak for avoiding a PPV title unification with Tom Aspinall. Even though his rumored PPV compensatory ask stood around $30 million, the UFC CEO said brass and execs said yes to the finances.

However, amid all the backlash for apparent ‘ducking’, Jones slipped into the DFSI testing pool just two weeks after retirement. POTUS, Donald Trump, has hinted at a White House concept card next year, and loyal Albuquerque man Jones wants in on such a legacy prizefight.

Ever since, the fighter has been enjoying ‘going on the hunt‘ for a return fight, the possibility he could be the one contending for gold, and so on. This could include a PPV top spot and chance to make history at the President’s behest on the South Lawn! His responding-spree on X is more prolific than ever, and one bitter ex-UFC rival liked what he saw.

Are you more interested in Jon right now than you were 18 days ago when the announcement of the retirement was made? Are you more interested in Jon vs. Tom? …I’ll answer my own question: yeah, I am more interested in Jon; I feel that the work Jon has done in the media lately is some of Jon’s finest work.

Chael Sonnen via his Official YouTube channel

MMA’s ‘Bad Guy’ Chael Sonnen is like a bold thinker at heart; he often jumps the gun with bold takes that others don’t, and it often causes clashes. While he has had his rivalry with the fighter, Sonnen is very much keen for an Aspinall vs. Jones superfight. Seeing the telltale signs of a negotiation figure, he had even surmised the fight was a ‘sure thing’ this year.

The Oregon man scrapped against ‘Bones’ unsuccessfully for the light heavyweight title at UFC 159 in 2013. He has had a long history and even sent the rival to the “shadow realm”, projecting he’d be forgotten if he skipped on this unification bout that everyone wanted. Sonnen and others also billed that he wasn’t the biggest PPV perpetuity draw, selling out fights like Conor McGregor did.

Jones’ current ballot standing was two fights in five years; he wasn’t selling the scope of any other fight, after UFC 309 PPV challenge vs. ‘best heavyweight’ Stipe Miocic. He wasn’t a golden crop that the brass would tack up for the exclusive UFC broadcast rights deal either.

Jones’s latest social media activity has coincided with more controversy outside the cage. The UFC star recently received a criminal summons for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident. However, Jones turned that around and stayed a talking point.

From Sonnen’s prerogative as a class-A trash talker, he gets the value of it. ‘The American Gangster’ once claimed that he got his title shot off such tendencies. Hence, when it comes to Jones’ social media posts and a U-turn from UFC retirement, Sonnen is liking it all. As it stands, he seems to be driving up a “will he, won’t he” bargain, making an Aspinall-shaped fight possible.

Jon Jones threw a subtle jab at Daniel Cormier for criticism, igniting decade-long rivalry

Daniel Cormier is infamous as yet another ex-UFC two-weight belt holder, and more so as a two-time Jon Jones rival. The rival touched base with good wins on both occasions. However, the second win was overturned as ‘Bones’ tested positive for a Turinabol metabolite. 

Jon Jones threw shade on UFC rival for not knowing when to walk away
Jon Jones threw shade on UFC rival for not knowing when to walk away (Source: X)

In the early years of 2016, Jon Jones entered the test pool and came in green for estrogen blockers, clomiphene, and letrozole, just before his bout with Ovince Saint Preux. Unlike Sonnen, Cormier has further often laid into the rival in full blast for his ‘dirty’ case of falling out of grace, extended periods of inactivity, unlawful run-ins, and so on.

He lauds Jones’ longevity through double divisions and multiple MMA eras. But the logjam and contentious running is hard to miss; Cormier even billed that retiring without fighting Aspinall stains his legacy as if he was scared to do so.

More recently, though, the rival has had another complaint. Cormier lambasted him for re-entering the drug testing pool ahead of a UFC return for a White House PPV card. More potently, for keeping up false hopes the first time with a stalling tactic for a near-600-day threshold, and yet teasing to do so. ‘DC billed it as frustrating to pile it on fans yearning for an Aspinall super fight.

Jones, though, was ready to stoke the flames of their rivalry. The ex-heavyweight champion said it was better to know when to walk away, jabbing at the two-time rival and his two big ‘Ls’ on stats.

Sometimes you gotta know when to quit, sometimes you gotta know when to let things go. We should be constantly evolving, quitting certain things could be the best decision a person ever made.

Jon Jones via X

Jones’ rival was viciously stopped with a head kick at UFC 217, but stretched to a failed drug test and subsequent overturning. Jones stated he couldn’t get over being stopped, but Cormier has countered over the years that the rival doesn’t deserve his stripes, given his outside life. The pair has never fully settled their differences, even after retiring, given the vicious element of their rivalry.

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