UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones remains unfazed by criticism concerning his career path, regardless of outside opinions.
Speaking during a recent Instagram Live session, the former light heavyweight king and current heavyweight titleholder responded to detractors, particularly those labeling him a “duck” for seemingly avoiding a bout with interim champion Tom Aspinall. Jones claimed the vacant title in March 2023 after Francis Ngannou left the promotion and successfully defended it against the retiring Stipe Miocic in November.
Aspinall, who boasts an 8-1 UFC heavyweight record, recently defended his interim belt at UFC 304 by defeating Curtis Blaydes, avenging his only Octagon loss.
“I’ve got people in the chat calling me a ‘duck,’” Jones said. “Meanwhile, I’m living my absolute best life.”
He added, “I don’t know if it’s considered ducking when you’re living good. I don’t think it works like that.”
Meanwhile, Aspinall has repeatedly expressed his desire to face Jones, widely considered one of MMA`s all-time greats, but has also indicated his willingness to move on if the fight doesn`t happen. In a recent appearance on the High Performance Podcast, Aspinall suggested his patience for waiting on Jones is running thin.
Aspinall stated, “When you put him in there with, and I’m not trying to blow my own trumpet, but I’m literally the most dangerous guy in the UFC if you look at the stats.” He continued, “When you put him in with a guy of my size who has them credentials at this stage in his career, I think Jon’s a smart guy and realizes that, so he wants to be compensated financially for it.”
He concluded by saying he is “well bored of [the Jones conversation]. I’ve had enough. We either need to fight, or I need to move on to something else.”
