There’s rising assist behind the motion to take away Jon Jones from
his place as
UFC heavyweight champion.
As of Wednesday afternoon, a web based petition “to strip Jon Jones
of the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Belt” had garnered greater than
125,000 signatures on Change.org. The assertion on the petition web page
is as follows:
Jon Jones is now the longest reigning champion in UFC
heavyweight historical past and has solely fought [two] occasions in that
interval. There’s a clear interim champion, Tom Aspinall, who
has defended his interim championship belt. Aspinall is able to
combat Jones. Jones refuses to combat him. Subsequently, we as followers should
let Dana White know: It’s time to strip Jon Jones of the
heavyweight title. He clearly has no intentions of preventing anytime
quickly.
Jones claimed the vacant heavyweight crown with a submission of
Ciryl
Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023. Even after Tom
Aspinall captured the interim heavyweight belt in Jones’ harm
absence, “Bones” insisted on a legacy combat in opposition to Stipe
Miocic, which he gained by way of third-round TKO at UFC 309 this previous
November.
After that victory, Jones indicated that it will take a particularly
profitable payday to get him to just accept a combat in opposition to Aspinall.
Since then, UFC CEO Dana White has since expressed confidence that
the combat will occur, however Aspinall and followers have grown annoyed
with the dearth of updates on the proposed bout.
Jones hasn’t appeared involved concerning the backlash in his responses
on social media, responding to detractors that he’s “residing his
greatest life.”
“Stripped? Lol, do I come throughout as the kind of one that cares
about issues like that,” Jones lately wrote on X.
Stripped? Lol do I come throughout as the sort
of one that cares about issues like that ? https://t.co/wZANsZgEki— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones)
Might 19, 2025
Jones has additionally indicated that he’s in no hurry to combat when requested
about retirement.
I don’t know if I wanna name it retired, I really feel like I’ll all the time
have a capability to come out and present em,” he wrote. “I’ve had many
breaks all through my profession, my identification exterior of preventing is
properly intact. I’m genuinely having fun with life, I’m rising in several
means.”
I don’t know if I wanna name it retired, I
really feel like I’ll all the time have a capability to come out and present em. I’ve
had many breaks all through my profession, my identification exterior of
preventing is properly intact. I’m genuinely having fun with life, I’m rising
in several methods. https://t.co/XuH1diQVr1— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones)
Might 21, 2025
Whereas the petition is indicative of the rising discontent
surrounding the standing of the UFC’s heavyweight division, it isn’t
prone to have an effect on the promotion’s resolution making.
Nevertheless, longtime Jones rival Daniel
Cormier believes “Bones” will ultimately settle for the combat
as a result of his ego gained’t permit him to vacate the belt.
“I do not know that he vacates with out preventing him as a result of I believe
the visible and the lasting thought could be that ‘he ran from him,’
and I do not know his ego may deal with that he ran from somebody,”
Cormier stated on the “Funky and the Champ” present with Ben Askren.
“The concept folks would assume he’s afraid means extra to him
than going on the market and preventing him and taking the possibility.
“Particularly when there’s an actual chance that he simply outclasses
Tom Aspinall. You do not know. I believe that he’ll combat him. I
do not assume they’re going to must strip him, I believe he’ll combat him. He
may stroll away and go, ‘I am the perfect, I needn’t do something
else.’ The concept he ran goes to be too robust of a pull for
him as he goes into the following section of his profession.”
