Jon Jones has finally addressed speculation about his fighting future, suggesting he's prepared to voluntarily give up his UFC heavyweight championship rather than face being stripped of it.
"You can't strip a guy like me at this point. I give the belt up freely. Veni, vidi, vici," Jones stated in a series of posts on social media platform X.
The former pound-for-pound king revealed he hasn't trained since his last title defense in November, despite the UFC meeting his financial demands for a potential unification bout with interim champion Tom Aspinall.
"I spoke to the UFC a long time ago about what my future plans were," Jones explained. "Honestly, I believe it's been in the UFC's best interest to keep presenting me as the company's champion—not Tom."
In a surprisingly candid admission, Jones claimed his inactivity has been financially beneficial. "It's been incredibly lucrative. I've made more money off of Tom being the interim champ than Tom has himself."
Many fans have accused Jones of deliberately avoiding a fight with the British heavyweight. However, the long-time light-heavyweight champion appears unbothered by criticism regarding his legacy.
"That's the problem with some young men, you think your last outcome is your legacy," Jones wrote. "Legacy is what no one can take from you. It's built over time, not defined by a single win or loss."
Meanwhile, Aspinall has remained sidelined since his impressive 60-second victory over Curtis Blaydes last July. The fighter from Wigan has expressed frustration over his inactivity, though reports suggest an announcement regarding his next fight is imminent.
With Jones essentially playing "company man" by his own admission, how will the UFC respond to this public declaration? The ball now appears to be in Dana White's court.
