‘One for the ages': UFC rocked as icon retires on the spot
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Jon Jones, regarded as the greatest mixed martial arts champion of all time, has retired, UFC CEO Dana White announced on Sunday morning Australian time.
White said that 37-year-old Jones informed the UFC of his decision to retire the day prior.
A heavyweight title unification bout between Jones and interim champion Tom Aspinall had been touted, but Jones' decision elevates Aspinall to undisputed champion.
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'Jon Jones called us last night and retired,' White said at a press conference in Azerbaijan.
'Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC.'
White went on to say that the UFC will work with Aspinall on finding him his first title defence, but Jones is yet to comment publicly on the announcement.
The American (28-1) moved up from the light heavyweight division to become the heavyweight champion in 2023.
Jon Jones took the heavyweight belt. Photo by Sarah Stier / Getty Images via AFP.
He defended his belt once during his time on top, against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November last year, and had repeatedly played down talk about an impending fight against Aspinall.
The potential matchup would have been one of the biggest in UFC history, but Jones continually suggested it would not change his legacy.
Fans accused him of ducking the 32-year-old Englishman, and there was so much outrage that an online petition to strip Jones of the title collated more than 200,000 signatures.
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'I obviously feel bad for Tom that he lost all that time and money, but we'll make it up to him,' White said.
'Tom Aspinall is a good guy. He's been incredible through this whole process that we've gone through.
'He's been willing to do anything — fight him anywhere and anytime and do this, and now he's like, 'I'll fight anybody. You tell me who, and I'll fight him'.
'So Aspinall has been great. He's going to be a great heavyweight champion for us, and I'm excited to work with him.'
White's words came as Khalil Rountree Jr. dominated former champion Jamahal Hill in a five-round decision in their light heavyweight bout in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Jones became the youngest ever UFC champion at just 21 years of age, and he went undefeated in championship fights with a 16-0 record despite taking on more of them than anyone else.
He is one of only fighters to boast titles in multiple weight classes, and his 22 wins are the equal fifth most in UFC history.
Jones also attracted plenty of attention outside of the Octagon.
He was arrested and charged for a hit-and-run in 2015 after he fled the scene of a vehicle accident which injured a 25-year-old pregnant woman.
The following year, Jones was banned from competition for one year as a result a positive drug test, but he has long maintained that the positive result was due to contaminated legal supplements.
Originally published as 'One for the ages': UFC rocked as icon retires on the spot
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