Jon Jones now doesn’t seem so keen on hanging up his gloves – but don’t think that means he’s unifying the heavyweight division.
The legendary two-weight world champion had been adamant that he would be retiring following his UFC 309 title defence against Stipe Miocic. But UFC boss Dana White was never sure about that, and insisted that he would fight once more at the age of 37.
And it now seems that he is open to the idea of sticking around in the sport. However, it’s not necessarily good news for Tom Aspinall, who he branded as ‘annoying’ and insisted he will not be fighting under any circumstances despite his status as interim champion.
Jon Jones has regularly claimed he will be retiring after UFC 309
For the majority of the build-up to his bout with fellow legend Miocic, Jon Jones has insisted that he will not be fighting again after this month’s showdown. His coaches have echoed that sentiment, with the feeling being that over a decade-and-a-half is enough time to call it a day.
At the age of 37, Jones has already established himself as arguably the greatest fighter of all time, winning world titles at heavyweight and light-heavyweight and breaking records. And he is keen to retire on top, without allowing someone else to build their name off his.
He told Clocked N’ Loaded at UFC 306, that his next outing is likely the last time we’ll see him in the cage. Jones said: “I feel great, I feel really, really good, 250lb lean and strong. This is going to be the last time. More than likely.”
Now, Jon Jones insists he is open to future fights
But in an interesting turn of events, he has now admitted that he would be willing to entertain offers for another title defence after facing Miocic. It will be his first time defending the heavyweight title since winning the vacant belt against Ciryl Gane in March of last year.
“I have this feeling that it could be the last one,” he told the New York Post of UFC 309. “But I’m also open for it not being the last one. I’ve just got to take it the way I’ve always taken it which is one fight at a time.
“Being on top of this sport for so long, you feel like you have such a large target on your back. I’ve learned that being in the future only creates anxiety, so at the end of the day no matter how much competition is in the world they can only fight me one at a time.
“So I just take it one fight at a time. I’ll focus on beating Stipe first and then who’s next will come and I will give him my undivided attention.”
Jon Jones says there is ‘nothing’ Tom Aspinall could do to earn fight
However, this does not necessarily spell good news for Tom Aspinall in the interim champion’s role. The Brit won the belt by beating Sergei Pavlovich last year at The Garden when Miocic and Jones’ first meeting was cancelled, and he’s even defended the belt against Curtis Blaydes.
But Jones is not interested, telling reporter Scott Fantana when asked about what Aspinall can do to make him really invested: “Really nothing. I find him annoying and I’ve been here for so long, he just got to the UFC not too long ago.
“If he wanted to fight me he could have been here, it’s like ‘where have you been all this time?’ At the end of the day he has no real standout legacy, I think the only guy he’s beat is Andrei Arlovski and Andrei was very old at the time.
“So it’s just like, he really has nothing that entices me. He reminds me of a bunch of other up-and-comers that I fought where it does nothing for my legacy, really nothing. Maybe if he goes on and gets close to my win record maybe I’ll be enticed to come back and see.
“But I highly doubt he’ll do that. Alex Pereira though, that’s somebody that interests me. He had great sagas with Israel Adesanya and he’s beat Jamahal Hill, this guy is a champion killer like myself. That type of stuff entices me.”
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