Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president and CEO Dana White confirmed that mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Jon Jones has retired, and interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has been elevated to the title holder.
During a press conference on Saturday in Azerbaijan where UFC Fight Night was held, Jon Jones called us last night and called us.
Jon Jones has become a retired person. The UFC’s heavyweight champion is Tom Aspinall.
Jones, who turns 38 on July 19, won the UFC titles at light heavyweight and heavyweight, putting together a 28-point win-loss record with 11 total knockout victories (TKOs). When Jones got hurt, he was in line for a highly anticipated unification fight with Aspinall, 32, who became the interim heavyweight champion of the UFC in November 2023.
After White’s announcement, Englishman Aspinall posted a message on Instagram with a win-loss record of 15-3 in MMA, 11 TKOs, and 8-1 in UFC.
“For you fans,” Aspinall, 32, wrote, “It’s time to get this heavyweight division going.” “An active, undisputed champion.”
Heavyweight era in its new form
The undisputed heavyweight champion (@AspinallMMA) is ready to start things! pic. https://twitter.com/zpj7ghtg
The last fight between Jones and Stipe Miocic was on November 16, 2024, when he defeated him by a third-round TKO. Since missing a fight with Daniel Cormier on July 29, 2017, Jones has won six straight fights.
Jones’ comments on Thursday when he appeared on the “Full Send” podcast were counteracted by White’s announcement.
According to numerous media reports, Jones stated on the podcast, “I don’t want to say that I’m retired because fighting is in my blood.” I have no desire to fight right now. When the itch comes back, and if it does, then I’ll do it with all of my heart, to the best of my ability, and I’ve been doing it at a very high level my entire life.
Jones won the 205-pound title with victory over Mauricio Rua, making him the youngest UFC champion at age 23 and having a chequered history outside of the octagon. Jones, who is 16-0 in UFC title fights, has had legal issues as well as a year-long suspension in 2016 for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, which he disputes.
In Baku, Rountree Jr. descends Hill.
In the main event of the Fight Night, former UFC light heavyweight champion Khalil Rountree Jr. defeated Jamahal Hill 49-46, 50-45, and 50-45, respectively.
As long as he maintains his light heavyweight title defense, Rountree Jr is capable of using leg kicks and downing the former light heavyweight champion on numerous occasions. He has a 15-6 win-loss record.
According to Rountree, “I didn’t enter here underestimating Jamaal.”
Hill is attempting to clinch his first victory since 2023 with a record of 12-4 MMA victories.
For his first victory since July 2022, hometown lightweight Rafael Fiziev (13-4 win-loss in MMA) won the co-main event by unanimous decision to face Ignacio Bahamondes 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27. It was Fiziev’s striking prowess that made the difference, as it was Bahamondes’ first defeat in MMA since August 2023 (17-6 win-loss). Since he entered the fight ranked 11th  in the division, Fiziev does not prefer who he fights next.
With a split decision of 29-28, 28-29, and 29-28, heavyweight Curtis Blaydes outperformed debutant Rizvan Kuniev. After falling to UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall last July at UFC 304, Blades (19-5 win-loss in MMA) bounced back.
Nazim Sadykhov, a lightweight champion in one of the most explosive UFC fights in recent memory, overcame Nikolas Motta’s Herculean effort to earn a late second-round TKO at 4:17. Before Sadykhov turned things around in the second round, the fight was almost over thanks to a number of Motta strikes. Sadykhov (11-1-1 win-loss MMA) has won 11 of his past 13 fights, securing the victory with a 75-punch combo. Motta lost his first fight with a win-loss record since June 2023.
Source: Aljazeera
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