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Jon Jones Retiring after Stipe Miocic is Disservice to Tom Aspinall

MMAKO's Zain Bando explains why Jon Jones' retirement decision spells bad news for the UFC heavyweight division and Tom Aspinall.

Zain Bando

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UFC 309 will finally see the highly-anticipated return of UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1, 1 NC UFC) when he fights Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 16.

Jones previously dominated light heavyweight between 2011-2020, making his case as the best pound-for-pound fighter of all time.

Jones would eventually move up to heavyweight but did not fight during COVID. He would eventually return in March 2023 for the then-vacant heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC). Jones only needed 2:04 of Round 1 to secure the guillotine choke, claiming the belt that once belonged to Francis Ngannou.

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Jon Jones Reveals His Fighting Future

Jones and Miocic were scheduled to fight last November, but Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle in camp, postponing the fight and allowing Tom Aspinall to become the interim champion.

Jon Jones Retiring after Stipe Miocic is Disservice to Tom Aspinall
Nov 11, 2023; New York, NY, USA; Tom Aspinall (blue gloves) reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Although Jones-Miocic is scheduled to happen again, the biggest loser in this scenario is Aspinall. In the UFC, it is commonplace for the interim and undisputed champions to unify the belts. But, it appears to be headed in a non-promising direction.

Jones told Clocked 'N' Loaded in an exclusive interview released Sunday he feels ready to fight Miocic but is leaning toward calling it quits regardless of the outcome.

Why Tom Aspinall Will Beat UFC Legend Jon Jones

"I feel very great. I feel really, really good. 250 pounds lean and strong. It's gonna be the last time," Jones said. "Gonna be the last time, more than likely."

The argument that Jones can retire whenever he wants is justified, but when a champion who UFC CEO Dana White has repeatedly stated is active (despite being injured and having fought once in four years), it is hard to justify Jones' case by not giving Aspinall the shot he has rightfully earned.

Aspinall released a video shortly after the announcement became official, reassuring the fans he will be ready at a moment's notice if the fight is canceled outright.

"The heavyweight title's on the line at long last. Finally, we are confirmed for it," Aspinall said. "Will be there to watch these two gentlemen go at it. I, of course, have told the UFC, if anybody gets injured or there's any other reason why nobody can make it to that fight, why one of them might pull out, I'm ready to go."

Aspinall added he is willing to go to the extreme to win the real belt if he has to, including turning back the clock to UFC events of yesteryear.

Jon Jones Retiring after Stipe Miocic is Disservice to Tom Aspinall
Feb 15, 2020; Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA; UFC fighter Jon Jones attends the light heavyweight bout between Jan Blachowicz (blue) and Corey Anderson (red) during UFC Fight Night at Santa Ana Star Arena. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"If I need to, I'll fight both of them in the same night. No problem. Give me my undisputed title because, in my opinion, there should not be two champions in one weight division," Aspinall added. "I think that is silly. This is not what UFC is about. This is not what MMA is about. There's one guy, each weight division, and I believe it's me. So, I'll be fighting the winner [of Jones-Miocic]," Aspinall said.

Why Jon Jones Demolishes Tom Aspinall in the UFC

It remains to be seen what happens with the future of the division, but for now, only time will tell.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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