At this point, it’s safe to say we can give up hope on a UFC super fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.
Fans have been waiting to see Jon Jones defend the UFC heavyweight title against Aspinall, the division’s interim champion, since 2023. Instead, Jones swerved the matchup in favor of a late-2024 fight with Stipe Miocic, forcing Aspinall to make a rare interim title defense against Curtis Blaydes. In fact, Jones has been so publicly against the matchup that fans have long questioned if he intends to fight again at all. UFC boss Dana White has done his best to keep hope alive, but now, holding out hope seems foolish.
Speaking to Full Send this week, Jones essentially admitted that, while he isn’t officially retired, he has no interest in fighting at the moment.
Given that Aspinall wanted to fight yesterday, it’s clearly time we all moved on.
Jon Jones shuts down talk of imminent UFC return
🚨 Jon Jones says he has no interest in fighting right now:
“Right now, I could really care less about fighting…
When the itch comes back, if it comes back, then I’ll do it with my whole heart.”
🎥 @fullsendpodcast #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/2n6gkuO58r
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 19, 2025
“I don’t want to say that I’m retired, because fighting’s in my blood,” Jones said. “Right now I could really care less about fighting. I’ve been doing it my whole life at a very high level. When the itch comes back — and if it comes back — then I’ll do it with my whole heart. I’ll do it to the best of my abilities.
“Right now, I look around and I realize what’s truth, what’s real. I see the way people look at me, the way I make people feel, and it’s an extraordinary thing. It’s a true blessing. Now my job is to give that to my fans — be reachable, touchable, let them know what I have inside. That’s who I am right now. I’ve punched and kicked enough people.”
Whatever the future holds, Jon Jones is inarguably one of the best fighters ever. He is the most dominant fighter in light heavyweight history, and one of just a handful of two-division champs in UFC history. Fans are justifiably upset he’s not fighting Aspinall, but his legacy is set in stone all the same.
