Jon Jones walks out of interview over Tom Aspinall question: ‘You said something real wild’

The UFC heavyweight champion continues to avoid committing to a fight with the interim-title holder

Jon Jones ended an interview on Thursday when he was asked what it would “take” for him to fight Tom Aspinall, a question he deemed “wild”.

Jones has held the UFC heavyweight title since March 2023, while Aspinall picked up the interim belt in November of that year after “Bones” suffered an injury. Despite each man having retained his version of the title since then, Jones continues to avoid committing to a fight with the Briton.

In fact, Aspinall this month insisted that the American has retired, and that he himself has a date and location for his next fight.

But speaking on the Full Send podcast on Thursday (19 June), 37-year-old Jones said: “I don’t want to say that I’m retired, because fighting’s in my blood.

“Right now, I could [not] really care less about fighting. I’ve been doing it my whole life at a very high level, and when the itch comes back – and if it comes back – then I’ll do it with my whole heart, do it to the best of my abilities.

“I think I will fight again in the future, I think I will fight again. Where the future of combat sports is going, it’s going to be amazing when I pop back up, but right now, I’m just focused on so many other things – like family, like building my house, like building this brand.

“Right now, I look around and realise what’s true, what’s real. I see the way people look at me and the way I make people feel, and it’s an extraordinary thing. It’s a true blessing. Now my job is to serve that, 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.

Jon Jones (right) during his victory over Stipe Miocic in November (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

“I think [Tom] is awesome. I think he should go on and have a wonderful career. No, I don’t think he needs me. I think when you want something bad enough, if you get it, it can be the worst thing that ever happened to you.

“I love being the ultimate troll. I’m in a spot right now where I’m really enjoying the fruits of my labour, all the hard work that I put in. He’s not in a position to excite me, it’s just the truth. Because if I whoop his ass, it’s going to be the next guy. There’s going to be a whole new fanbase of somebody who everybody believes in.

“I’ve done this my whole adult life. I remember ‘Rampage’ [Quinton Jackson] fans years ago, Rashad [Evans] fans and Lyoto [Machida] fans; I’ve literally replayed this story so many times in my life.”

With Jones refusing to commit to a unification bout with Aspinall, 32, fans are bewildered at why the UFC has not stripped Jones of his belt.

“I’m a company guy, and there’s a lot of things that’s happening behind the scenes, where my job is just to sit and be still and take the punishment,” he said. “My job for the UFC is to do what’s right for the company. I could easily just say I’m not fighting. My job is to chill, and that’s what I’m doing.”

Tom Aspinall won the interim heavyweight title in 2023 and retained it in 2024 (Getty Images)

At the end of the interview, host Kyle Forgeard asked the former two-time light-heavyweight champion: “What would it take to fight Tom Aspinall? From the UFC, like what does the UFC gotta do?”

Jones, laughing, replied: “You said something real wild and off the cuff. I’ll see you guys later.” He proceeded to stand and leave.

While some fans consider Jones the greatest fighter in MMA history, his career has been marred by numerous failed drug tests and run-ins with the law. The former 205lb king, whose sole defeat has come via disqualification, won the vacant heavyweight title in March 2023, but an injury thwarted his November defence against Stipe Miocic, and Jones was ruled out for a year.

In the meantime, Aspinall won the interim belt and made the rare move of defending it, which he did successfully in July 2024. Jones returned in November and stopped Miocic to retain the regular belt, setting up a unification fight with Aspinall – one to which Jones has never committed, leading fans to urge the UFC to take his title away.

This month, Aspinall told The Independent: “I want to keep my job, so I don’t want to say too much, but I said what I’ve said in other interviews and stuff... People think I’m joking, but it’s the truth [that Jones has retired]. I’m not the kind of guy to pull any media stunts or anything like that, like... What I’m saying is the truth.”

Aspinall is 8-1 in the UFC, with his sole loss caused by an early injury. All of his wins in the promotion have come via stoppage – all within the first two rounds, two within the first minute.