Jon Jones has spoken out to share his perspective on the situation involving Tom Aspinall.
The former two-division UFC champion recently concluded his fighting career at the age of 37. While leaving behind a truly remarkable legacy in the sport, his retirement comes with certain unresolved questions, particularly concerning his ongoing public disagreement with interim champion Tom Aspinall. Prior to stepping away, Jones was recognized as the UFC`s undisputed heavyweight champion but faced considerable criticism for not agreeing to fight Aspinall, who has since been elevated to undisputed status following Jones`s exit.
On Friday, Jones utilized Twitter to address the controversy, asserting that he bore no responsibility for the highly anticipated heavyweight bout failing to materialize.
In a tweet that has since been deleted, Jones wrote, “If the fight was finalized, trust me, I`d be competing. While negotiations began at one point, it was never a completed deal. My role was to remain patient and silent, which is precisely what I did. I was simply enjoying my life, something that should have been evident.”
It`s worth noting that Jones had previously commented on his dispute with Aspinall multiple times, including posting a vulgar comment on Aspinall`s Instagram.
Jones also claimed, “I was repeatedly advised, thousands of times, to reconsider and allow more time. That is the honest truth.”
However, UFC CEO Dana White has stated that the Jones vs. Aspinall fight *was* agreed upon, asserting that Jones changed his mind and chose retirement instead. Aspinall, meanwhile, has maintained that although he`d still be open to fighting Jones in the future, his current focus is on defending his title against active competitors.
Jones sent out several more tweets on Friday, defending his career accomplishments and addressing online critics.
He tweeted: “I hold more championships than both of those individuals together; even they would approve of me retiring.”
