Jon Jones relinquished the UFC heavyweight title and opted to retire. The former two-division UFC champion informed the fight promotion of his decision and interim titleholder Tom Aspinall was elevated to undisputed champion status.
UFC matchmakers were working to book a title unification bout between Jones and Aspinall when the 37 year-old Jones made the final decision to walk away. Jones turns 38 on July 19.
Jones’ longtime teammate, former UFC women’s bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm, spoke about Jones’ retirement following her return to the boxing win over Yolanda Vega last Saturday on the Jake Paul vs. Julio César Chávez Jr. fight card.
“For Jon, or any fighter honestly, I think they just need to follow their heart and when you want to do it, do it. And when you want to retire, retire,” Holm said during the Paul vs. Chavez Jr. Post-Fight Press Conference.
“I think a lot of people can be really swayed a lot of different ways. People put pressure. Any fighter that wants to keep fighting, keep doing it. If you want to retire, retire and enjoy it,” continued Holm.
Related: Dana White: ‘The fight was done and Jon Jones changed his mind’
“He’s had a legendary career. He’s fought the best of the best when they were the best and he’s done it well. He’s a great fighter. You don’t find them like that, as dominant as he was, as skilled as he was.”
Jones is widely considered the greatest mixed martial artist to ever do it. UFC CEO Dana White regularly states that he considers Jones the G.O.A.T. Jones essentially held the 205-pound championship from 2011 until 2020. He holds several UFC records including the youngest fighter to win a UFC championship at 23. He has the most wins in UFC title fights (16) and the most successful title defenses in the fight promotion’s history with 12.
Jones’ retiring was certainly an end to an era.
