Jon Jones hints at retirement after defending his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic. Despite this, interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall still angles for a title unification bout. Read more about Jones’ retirement plans and the opinions of Muhammad Mokaev and Sean Strickland.
| Fighter | Comments |
|---|---|
| Muhammad Mokaev | "I always look at the body, mechanics of the person. The thing he put on his shoulder, I think Jon is aware [that] he’s a challenge. He’s a real challenge at the moment right now to Tom. If he wasn’t a real challenge, he would hug him back, take a photo, say ‘kid all the best’. You know, but he didn’t." |
| Muhammad Mokaev | "He’s a little bit arrogant, Jon, I don’t know why. Tom, I don’t know, this fight [will] maybe never happen. Jon doesn’t look in shape. He doesn’t look [like] he trains. I don’t know, I don’t think this fight ever happens." |
| Sean Strickland | "At the end of the day, Jon Jones is a piece of st. I know that. The whole world knows that. We don’t need to reiterate his past. He needs to sack up, fight [Tom] Aspinall and fking just get the s**t done." |
Jon Jones Teases Retirement
Jon Jones, the reigning heavyweight champion, has hinted at retirement following his upcoming title defense against Stipe Miocic. Despite this, there is still interest from interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall in a unification bout, and he recently surprised Jones at a meet and greet.
UFC flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev weighed in on the face-off between the two during a recent interview with TNT Sports. Mokaev observed that Jones seemed aware of the challenge Aspinall poses, as he did not respond warmly to their encounter. Mokaev also commented on Jones’ demeanor, describing him as a bit arrogant and questioning his training regimen.
Mokaev’s comments on Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall :
| Fighter | Comments |
|---|---|
| Muhammad Mokaev | "I always look at the body, mechanics of the person. The thing he put on his shoulder, I think Jon is aware [that] he’s a challenge. He’s a real challenge at the moment right now to Tom. If he wasn’t a real challenge, he would hug him back, take a photo, say ‘kid all the best’. You know, but he didn’t." |
| Muhammad Mokaev | "He’s a little bit arrogant, Jon, I don’t know why. Tom, I don’t know, this fight [will] maybe never happen. Jon doesn’t look in shape. He doesn’t look [like] he trains. I don’t know, I don’t think this fight ever happens." |
The interim heavyweight champion has expressed interest in facing either Jones or Miocic. However, both Jones and Miocic, as well as the UFC, have confirmed that the heavyweight title bout will proceed as planned. The original clash between Miocic and Jones was scheduled for UFC 295 in November, but Jones had to withdraw due to a torn pectoral tendon.
This injury presented Aspinall with the opportunity to face Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight title, which he won with a first-round knockout. Sean Strickland has also called for a fight between Jones and Aspinall, criticizing Jones and urging him to face Aspinall.
Strickland’s comments on Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall :
| Fighter | Comments |
|---|---|
| Sean Strickland | "At the end of the day, Jon Jones is a piece of st. I know that. The whole world knows that. We don’t need to reiterate his past. He needs to sack up, fight [Tom] Aspinall and fking just get the s**t done." |
While many believe that Jones should face Aspinall before retiring, it is worth noting that Jones had already revealed his retirement plans prior to Aspinall claiming the interim heavyweight title. It remains to be seen if Jones will postpone his retirement to take the fight or if he will conclude his legendary career after his bout with Miocic.
