Jon Jones has finally broken his silence on his fighting future, suggesting he may voluntarily give up his UFC heavyweight title rather than waiting to be stripped. The former pound-for-pound king hasn't trained since his last title defense in November, leaving the division in limbo.
"I spoke to the UFC a long time ago about what my future plans were," Jones revealed in an unexpected series of posts on X. "I haven't really worked out since my last fight in New York City."
Jones, widely considered one of the greatest MMA fighters ever, made the surprising claim that the UFC has deliberately kept him as champion for business reasons, despite pressure from fans and media to strip him of the belt for refusing to face interim champion Tom Aspinall.
The most eyebrow-raising statement came when Jones admitted to financially benefiting from the situation: "I've made more money off of Tom being the interim champ than Tom has himself."
UFC boss Dana White has faced mounting calls to intervere and revitalize the stagnating heavyweight division. But Jones appears to be pre-empting any such move.
"You can't strip a guy like me at this point. I give the belt up freely. Veni, vidi, vici," wrote Jones, using the Latin phrase meaning "I came, I saw, I conquered."
Many fans have accused Jones of deliberately avoiding Aspinall, with some suggesting this behavior will damage his legacy. Jones, however, seems unbothered by such criticisms.
Interestingly, while Jones plays this waiting game, Aspinall has been inactive since his impressive 60-second victory over Curtis Blaydes last July. The British fighter is reportedly close to having his next fight announced, but will it be for the undisputed title?
With Jones seemingly ready to walk away on his own terms, are we witnessing the calculated exit of one of MMA's most controversial champions?
