Jon Jones Says UFC Has Known His Plans For A Long Time

Forbes

20-05-2025

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones wants fight fans to know the UFC has been aware of his plans for the title and his career, and that he's perplexed why the promotion has not publicly shared those designs.
Jones, who is reportedly in Thailand to film a reality show with Nate Diaz, wrote on social media in reference to him not facing UFC interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall in a title unification bout, "Yall barkin up the wrong tree, I told the Ufc my plans a long time ago. I have no clue why they haven't shared them with you guys yet."
Jones's comments most likely won't sit well with Aspinall, who seems to be tiring of waiting for a title unification bout with Jones.
"I'm well bored of it. I've had enough," Aspinall said on the High Performance Podcast. "Either we need to fight, or I need to move on and do something else. And like I said, I'm gonna find out. Literally, today is the day that I've been waiting three, four months for, and I'm gonna find out today what's going on."
Aspinall won the interim UFC heavyweight crown in November 2023 with a knockout victory over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. Aspinall took that fight on short notice when the original main event for that card, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic for Jones's heavyweight title was scrapped following an injury to Jones.
Despite Aspinall winning the interim crown, UFC CEO Dana White remained steadfast in saying that Jones vs. Miocic was the fight to make.
That fight did not take place until November 2024. Jones held on to his belt that night, beating Miocic by TKO in the third round. By that time, Aspinall had already defended his interim crown, scoring a first-round knockout win over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July 2024.
Aspinall has been waiting for the title unification bout with Jones since Jones's win over Miocic in November. In late April, Miocic became the longest-serving UFC interim champion, topping the 535-day reign of Renan Barao, who defended his interim title twice before being named undisputed champion.
In late April, UFC CEO Dana White addressed rumors about the Jones vs. Aspinall fight.
'Everything you hear is (expletive) until we (the UFC) say it,' White said of all the talk about Jones vs. Aspinall. 'I've said it many times, that's the fight we want to make this year.'
White then added that he remains 'super confident' that Jones and Aspinall will meet in 2025 before adding, 'I've said since day one, this will be the biggest heavyweight in the history of the company and in the history of the sport. It's going to be a big one.'
We will have more on Jon Jones as news becomes available.