Jon Jones teases retirement after Stipe Miocic bout, Tom Aspinall responds
Jon Jones is going to fight Stipe Miocic, no matter what.
Jones won the UFC heavyweight title by submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 17 months ago. He was then scheduled to defend it against Stipe Miocic at UFC 296 before suffering an injury that forced him from the bout. Since then Jones has been recovering, with the intention of returning against Miocic later this year, despite the emergence of interim champion Tom Aspinall.
Understandably, Aspinall appears to be increasingly frustrated by Jones’s insistence on fighting Miocic, who is 42 years old and has not competed in over three years, instead of unifying their titles, even suggesting earlier this week that Jones “there’s no way on Earth” Jones will ever fight him. And Jones isn’t really doing much to dissuade that notion as on Tuesday, he took to social media with a series of posts about Aspinall, his legacy in the sport, and his steadfast resolve to fight Miocic.
“Looks like Tom displaying that amazing UK wrestling. My focus is on stipe, he actually wrestled division one. Best heavyweight of all time as of right now. Maybe Tom will go on and beat Stipe’s record one day, right now I’m focusing on goat things.”
“Haha man, you guys have been really begging me lately. Is the heavyweight division really that boring without me?”
“The beautiful thing about being my position is, I’m not defined by one fight. Most of you grew up watching me win.”
“I guess there was a video that resurfaced recently of me saying that after Stipe, Francis was the only fight I was interested in. That video was recorded well over a year ago. That was recorded before I got injured, before there was an intern champion crowned. I had already voiced that I wasn’t interested in any more randoms. Now magically I’m ducking a fight that’s never been negotiated or discussed at any table that matters. Lol I’m sticking to my plans, Jon Jones jumps for no one. How many belts does one need? How many times do I have to break my own record?”
“There are fighters literally all over the world that think in the back of their mind I can beat Jon Jones. There will be no statues of you. Go out and win more, make your name greater, that is the only way you do it.”
“I’m 37 years old now, I’ve kicked everyone’s ass. My job is to finish strong and make an amazing movie. Go join Tom Brady, Floyd Mayweather, and all the other retired bad asses.”
“It feels good to know on the way out your sport was literally begging you to continue. You never know, maybe the UFC will offer me a deal I can’t refuse.”
“Interesting, from my point of view it seems like an amazing way to finish this good work I started so long ago.”
While this was all happening, Aspinall was also posting, putting up a skit on his Instagram mocking Jones for ducking the fight with him.
“Where are you Jon Jones Is it time for retirement?”
Aspinall also responded directly to Jones’s comments, clearly interpreting them as Jones saying he will retire following the Miocic fight and taking shots at Jones for insisting on fighting Miocic.
“Wonder if it was that video or my fighting that retired him? Please make sure you pass me the belt on the way out of the octagon if you beat Biden.”
While no official date has been set, it is widely believed that Jones will face Miocic at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden.