Jon Jones has decided to share his perspective on the situation involving Tom Aspinall.
Jones, a former two-division UFC champion, recently retired at 37. While his in-cage career was legendary, his retirement leaves some unresolved issues, particularly his public disagreement with Tom Aspinall. Jones, previously the undisputed heavyweight champion, faced significant criticism for not facing Aspinall, the interim champion who has now taken the undisputed title after Jones`s departure.
On Friday, Jones used Twitter to address the controversy, asserting he was not to blame for the planned heavyweight fight failing to materialize.
“If the fight was finalized, believe me, I would have competed,” Jones stated in tweets he later removed. “Negotiations did begin at one stage, but the agreement was never completed. My role then was to remain patient and quiet, which is precisely what I did. I was simply living my life, something that should have been clear.”
It`s worth noting that Jones had previously engaged publicly with Aspinall regarding their dispute on several occasions, even posting a harsh comment on one of Aspinall`s Instagram posts.
Jones also mentioned, “I was repeatedly advised to reconsider and wait a bit longer. That is the reality of the situation.”
However, UFC CEO Dana White claimed that the Jones vs. Aspinall fight was agreed upon, but Jones ultimately chose to retire. Aspinall, meanwhile, has indicated he remains open to fighting Jones in the future but is currently focused on defending his heavyweight title against other top contenders.
Jones also sent out more tweets that Friday, defending his career achievements and replying to criticism from online users.
He posted, “I have one more championship than those guys combined; even they would agree it`s time for me to hang up the gloves.”
