UFC CEO Dana White delivering the retirement information of arguably the best combined martial artist of all time at a postfight information convention in Baku, Azerbaijan, after Saturday’s UFC Struggle Evening card was as underwhelming because it will get.
White’s tone recommended that he was let down — once more — by the person he just lately referred to as the very best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
That man — Jon Jones — has operated on his phrases and moved at his personal tempo. His retirement was no completely different.
However ought to anyone be shocked Jones determined to exit this fashion? Extra importantly, will we consider that that is actually the top of Jones’ difficult profession?
For higher or worse, Jones is definitely essentially the most egocentric fighter in UFC historical past. And that has labored brilliantly for his MMA profession and to the detriment of everybody else.
Jones’ retirement squashed a extremely anticipated heavyweight title unification combat between Jones and interim champion Tom Aspinall after months of will they, will not they. Jones went out of his solution to denigrate Aspinall as an opponent, calling him unproven and annoying. On the identical time, he opted to take a legacy-furthering combat with 42-year-old former champion Stipe Miocic that will age higher on paper. There was no actual purpose for the Miocic combat to occur apart from the UFC gifting Miocic a payday and feeding Jones’ ego. White felt assured sufficient final December to ensure “one hundred pc” the combat would occur and Jones would tackle Aspinall subsequent.
As an alternative, Jones routinely teased retirement, floated bouts in opposition to non-Aspinall opponents resembling Alex Pereira and Francis Ngannou and seemingly laughed at the concept he could possibly be stripped of his title.
And keep in mind, you may’t strip a man like me at this level I give the belt up freely. Veni, vidi, vici. 😘
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) June 6, 2025
“The combat was carried out,” White informed the media on Sunday in New York. “We had the combat carried out a very long time in the past. Why he determined to not combat, you guys should ask him that.”
Jones has let folks down earlier than to take care of management. There isn’t a concern for the followers, his promoter, or his teammates. However the best athletes at all times have a quirk that separates them from the remainder. Jones’ quirk simply occurs to be selfishness.
That selfishness has protected him for his total MMA profession. With out it, he will not be the place he’s at the moment.
Jones not combating Aspinall is only one of many examples the place Jones has put his wants first, no matter who has helped him get to the place he’s. The UFC might have deserted Jones throughout his litany of authorized points. As an alternative, they stood by their hottest and worthwhile star, maybe greater than some other fighter exterior of Conor McGregor.
However what about when Jones leapfrogged his Jackson Wink teammate Rashad Evans to combat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the sunshine heavyweight title? What was allegedly an in depth relationship between coaching companions dissolved right into a vitriolic confrontation that led to Evans leaving the fitness center. Evans referred to as out Jones for being “faux” and mentioned his “good man act” would finally disintegrate. Jones went on to defeat Evans at UFC 145 in 2012, however the phrases of his rival have hung over Jones’ profession.
Jones additionally turned down a short-notice combat with Chael Sonnen, inflicting the cancellation of UFC 151 in 2012, the primary time a UFC pay-per-view was referred to as off. To be clear, Jones had three days left in his coaching camp when he discovered Dan Henderson was injured and Sonnen, a former middleweight title contender, had supplied to step in. White’s disgust with Jones rang loud and clear on a convention name saying the cancellation.
“This is among the most egocentric, disgusting choices that does not simply have an effect on you,” White mentioned on the time. “That is affecting 16 different lives, their households, children are going again to highschool. The checklist goes on and on of all of the issues, the cash that was spent for fighters to coach and the checklist goes on and on. Like I mentioned, I do not suppose that is going to make Jon Jones in style with the followers, sponsors, cable distributors, tv community executives or different fighters.”
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Aspinall vows to grow to be the heavyweight GOAT after Jones’ retirement
Tom Aspinall speaks after formally turning into the UFC heavyweight champion after Jon Jones’ retirement.
When requested on Sunday about whether or not Jones ducked Aspinall, White referred to UFC 151. “I’ve mentioned it 1,000,000 instances and I am going to say it once more: Jon Jones has by no means ducked anyone apart from that one goofy time with the Chael Sonnen factor.”
Different champions have stepped up on brief discover, together with Islam Makhachev, who just lately defended his light-weight title on a day’s discover in opposition to Renato Moicano at UFC 311, however Jones opted to look out for himself. Is it fallacious? Not essentially. Jones would have been favored to win regardless, however he could not be in charge of the circumstances, and that is the important thing to his decision-making.
Maybe essentially the most fascinating instance of Jones placing himself first is how he has expertly navigated the latter half of his profession and guarded his standing as MMA’s GOAT.
The entrance half of Jones’ profession was astounding and crammed with dominant performances over Corridor of Fame fighters Rua, Evans and Vitor Belfort. He additionally completed three future HOFers in Sonnen, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida. However over the previous decade, he has fought a mere 9 instances due to authorized points, suspensions and accidents.
Exterior of two fights with bitter rival Daniel Cormier — one among which was a knockout win at UFC 214 in July 2014 that was overturned as a result of Jones examined optimistic for a banned substance — the again half of Jones’ UFC profession would not examine to the primary.
Jones expertly prevented placing himself at risk of shedding by combating so occasionally. To his credit score, he nonetheless received. However followers started questioning what would occur in opposition to a high-level opponent in his prime. A megafight with Ngannou by no means materialized partially as a result of Jones reportedly requested for “Deontay Wilder cash” ($20-$30 million), and we’ve seen one thing comparable with Aspinall. Jones chirped by means of social media and diminished the significance of the combat.
It isn’t about cash, loyalty or pleasing anybody else for Jones. It is about Jones doing what he desires, when he desires and the way he desires. And when he grew uninterested in the followers complaining and was probably given a deadline to decide to combat or surrender the heavyweight belt, White mentioned Jones referred to as and retired.
If, or when, Jones decides to return out of retirement to combat Aspinall or another person, he’ll be within the driver’s seat of negotiating. In any case, retirement is leverage in MMA, and if there’s one factor Jones loves, it is working on his phrases.
