Jon Jones Responds to Retirement Criticism

Jon Jones recently hit back at those slamming him for retiring.

Considered the MMA GOAT, Jones’ retirement was unceremonious to say the least. The youngest ever to become a UFC champ, Jones had a legendary run as the light heavyweight title holder until 2020. While his legacy has been marred by personal issues and drug test failures, no one can take away from his dominance inside the Octagon.

Jones returned after a three-year hiatus in 2023 and made easy work of Ciryl Gane to win the heavyweight title. He was then scheduled to defend the title against Stipe Miocic but was forced out due to an injury. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall became the interim champ by beating Sergei Pavlovich, and he then defended the interim title against Curtis Blaydes. However, Jones remained adamant about fighting Miocic, whom he defeated at UFC 309 in November 2024. Since that victory, Bones appeared uninterested in a fight against Aspinall, a saga which kept the heavyweight division on hold.

This led to widespread criticism and an online petition to strip Jones of the title that garnered nearly 200,000 signatures. The ordeal ended at a post-fight presser at UFC Baku last weekend, when Dana White announced Jones’ retirement. However, the criticism hasn’t stopped, as fans continue to slam Jones for depriving them of the fight they wanted and wasting a year of Aspinall’s career. 

'Bones' Proud to Control His Own Destiny

Jones responded, saying the critics are unhappy with him for retiring while he was still “dominating.” Jones posted a picture of himself with other UFC champs from the last decade, all of whom are now retired, most of long before “Bones.”

"I guess everybody else gets to retire - just not when you’re still dominating. Funny how that works,” Jones wrote on his Instagram Stories. “Forget personal goals, forget business ventures. Some folks really believe you should fight until they say you’ve had enough. Wild. Imagine thinking a grown man shouldn’t control his own destiny.”

---