“By not stepping in that octagon, he quit. He didn’t want to fight Tom Aspinall,” said Daniel Cormier, taking a sharp jab at former heavyweight champion Jon Jones. With those words, ‘DC’ accused ‘Bones’ of dodging the interim champ by choosing to retire before ever defending his title. Since late 2023, the long-awaited unification fight has been on hold. But the New Mexican’s mixed messages and frequent back-and-forth about the conflict only made things worse.
He hinted at taking the fight one minute and then seemed ready to walk away the next. This pattern apparently gave Dana White and the UFC executives stress. Finally, everything became clearer at the UFC Baku post-fight press conference, where Dana White said that Jon Jones had officially retired and given up the heavyweight belt. That news made Tom Aspinall the clear champion right away.
Still, the backlash continues, with many accusing ‘Bones’ of ducking Tom Aspinall and questioning why he stalled the division if he never intended to defend the title. Still, Ilia Topuria holds a different view and doesn’t believe Jones was avoiding the fight.
Ilia Topuria defends Jon Jones’ retirement move ahead of UFC 317
Tom Aspinall’s scenario isn’t completely unique; it is very similar to what former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria went through in his own division. This weekend at UFC 317, “El Matador” will fight former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155-pound belt. Islam Makhachev’s move up to welterweight took away the belt, ruining the Georgian’s chances of a big bout with the Dagestani star.
Ilia Topuria had previously expressed a strong interest in fighting Makhachev, especially after Merab Dvalishvili dominated rising Dagestani prospect Umar Nurmagomedov. Fueled by a desire to snap another the Dagestani win streak, the Spaniard was vocal about testing himself against the best. However, before any of that could come to fruition, Makhachev shifted focus to 170 pounds.
The situation resurfaced during a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, who posed a comparison to Ilia Topuria, “Jones and Aspinall — I said I feel there are some similarities between you and Islam, where one guy doesn’t want to fight the other. You understand?” ‘El Matador’ immediately disagreed with the analogy. He jumped to Jon Jones’ defense, highlighting the legacy of the former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion — a man who battled elite opponents across three generations, including Maurício ‘Shogun’ Rua, Daniel Cormier, and Ciryl Gane. Topuria replied,
“No, no — tell me. You can’t even compare that situation. You can’t compare Jon Jones with Islam, you know what I mean? Jon has done so many great things in the sport. He’s fought the best of the best over the last 10 years, so I don’t think he’s ducking anyone. You know, he just wants to retire. He’s tired — maybe of the game. But I don’t think he’s ducking anyone.”
That’s the Georgian’s stance — but many in the MMA community aren’t buying it. A large section of the fanbase believes Jon Jones did duck Tom Aspinall, effectively wasting the twilight of his prime. For them, ‘Bones’ retirement wasn’t just about stepping away from the sport — it felt more like a strategic exit to avoid facing the surging interim champ.
Now, to make matters worse, Jon Jones is facing a fresh legal issue. Reports say that authorities have issued a summons to the former heavyweight champion, adding another layer of uncertainty to his already clouded UFC future.
What’s the latest update on Jones’ legal trouble?
From hit-and-run incidents to traffic violations and domestic allegations, Jon Jones’ career has long been marred by controversy. Yet somehow, he always managed to come out on top. So when Dana White officially announced ‘Bones’ retirement from MMA, most fans assumed his headline-making days were over — especially when it came to legal trouble. But that assumption didn’t last long.
According to Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal, Jon Jones is once again facing criminal charges — this time for allegedly fleeing the scene of an accident. Reports claim a woman was found in the abandoned car, intoxicated and “lacking clothing.” The case has led to misdemeanor charges for leaving the scene of an accident. The court set a bond arraignment hearing for July 24. The matter escalated when police reportedly contacted the New Mexican by phone.
Authorities say the person who answered used unprofessional language, which led them to believe it was Jones himself. Based on that interaction, a criminal summons was issued. However, ”Bones’ took to social media to deny any involvement or wrongdoing. In response to the allegations, Jon Jones’ attorney, Christopher Dodd, issued a strong statement defending his client and calling out the Albuquerque Police Department. Dodd stated,
“As Jon’s lawyer, I am stunned by the Albuquerque Police Department’s decision to charge him in this new case. Jon was not driving that night; he wasn’t in the car. It appears that an intoxicated woman used a false allegation against Jon to avoid being arrested for DWI, and the police fell for it.”
With yet another legal controversy circling Jon Jones, the debate reignites: Will this incident further tarnish the legacy of one of MMA’s greatest, or will his accomplishments inside the octagon continue to outweigh the controversies outside of it? What’s your take? Drop your thoughts below.
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