Latest news with #Fighters
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Dana White told to strip Jon Jones of UFC title after his controversial comments as Tom Aspinall left in limbo
DANA WHITE has been urged by UFC fans to bite the bullet and STRIP Jon Jones of his heavyweight title. A massive unification fight between Jones and his interim counterpart Tom Aspinall has been on the cards since last November but has still not come to fruition. 5 5 5 That's despite the UFC brass' willingness to break their pay structure and meet Jones' demands to be paid " F**K YOU MONEY" for the bout. Former pound-for-pound king Jones has infuriated MMA fans over the last few weeks with his umming and ahhing over the prospect of retirement. And he left fight fans on tenterhooks again this week during a rare sit-down interview. During an interview on Deepcut with VicBlends, he said: "I don't know what life holds as far as fighting and competing. "I do feel like I'll be a lifelong martial artist whether I'm coaching others or taking exhibition matches and things like that. "There's a lot of great competition still in the UFC. I do view myself as more than a fighter. "Being in my position, I feel like I have a lot more options than a lot of the other fighters as far as the ability to leave and return. "And so right now I'm just focusing on love, happiness, kindness. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 5 "We're at the quarter-century mark, and this year should be a really special year." Jones' comments immediately drew the ire of UFC fans around the world, who took to social media to vent their frustrations. Jon Jones Blasts UFC Rival Tom Aspinall In X-Rated Rant One said: "Strip him already, make [Ciryl] Gane vs Aspinall in the UK. "We've had enough of this. Enjoy your retirement [and] if you want to come back, you'll have to fight Aspinall anyway." Another said: "He took 3 years off to 'prepare for Heavyweight'. How much time does he need? STRIP HIM!" And another said: "Strip him of the belt and let him come back and fight for it when he's ready." One remarked: "If he doesn't know, then I'd say he's done. Shame Dana can't compute that." Another chimed in: "UFC is a total joke for not stripping him and giving Aspinall another fight to defend his title. "If Jones [has] quit and let the UFC know about it, then the UFC has to move on. "If Jones wants to fight and is just delaying, the UFC needs to give him a date and tell him to f**k off if he says no. "This entire situation is causing irreparable damage to the UFC brand because people are getting turned off by the constant lies." Jones has been accused of ducking Wigan warrior Aspinall since his maiden defence of the heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 last November. Fans' patience with the Hall of Famer has worn extremely thin, although he insists he's not leading them on. He recently wrote on X: "Y'all 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' insistence that White and Co. know his plans came just DAYS after the UFC bigwig GUARANTEED he'd return to the octagon this year. He told Adam Glyn: "Jon Jones will be fighting in 2025. 100 per cent." 5
The Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
UFC faces increased pressure to strip Jon Jones of heavyweight title after petition skyrockets
The UFC continues to face mounting pressure from fans to strip Jon Jones of his heavyweight title after a petition surged to almost 140,000 signatures. The Change petition has called for the legendary American to be removed as undisputed heavyweight king in the UFC, with Tom Aspinall patiently waiting for his opportunity as interim champion. The Briton has not fought since beating Curtis Blaydes by knockout last July and has grown tired of waiting for Jones to make a decision on his future, with conflicting comments suggesting the 37-year-old could opt to retire. With just over 138,000 signature at the time of writing, Dana White continues to face calls to make a definitive decision on Jones' future, with negotiations continuing to drag. The petition claims Jones has 'refused' to fight Aspinall, and that the 32-year-old is poised and ready to fight the American. 'We as fans must let Dana White know: It is time to strip Jon Jones of the heavyweight title. He clearly has no intentions of fighting anytime soon,' the petition concluded. The latest comments in a war of words between both sides has seen Jones fire back at his rival, ordering him to 'shut up and do what you're told'. In one of the most controversial UFC sagas in recent memory, Jones and Aspinall continue to hold a heavyweight title each, without having a unification bout booked. Jones, a former two-time light-heavyweight champion, won the vacant heavyweight belt in March 2023, but a planned defence against divisional great Stipe Miocic collapsed later that year when Jones suffered an injury. Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich stepped up, with the Briton knocking out the Russian to win the interim title, while Jones's clash with Miocic was delayed by 12 months. Last November, Jones stopped his fellow American to retain the regular belt, seemingly setting up a fight with Aspinall, who retained the interim strap last July. However, Jones has continued to play coy over the prospect of that contest coming to fruition. As such, Aspinall opened up on the mental toll of the saga this week, telling UFC legend Demetrious Johnson: 'I've been almost a year inactive with no prospects of anything apart from 'wait'. So, now it's actually a bit more of a tricky time for me mentally than it was [when I was out for 12 months with an injury, from 2023 until 2024]. 'Now, it's just like: 'Just be ready and we'll just let you know.' It's kind of difficult mentally, but this is the fight against Jon Jones. The fight is another thing, this is the tricky bit where I really have to stay switched on, stay motivated, and I'm trying my best. It's tough sometimes.' Verdict MMA shared the 32-year-old's quotes on Instagram, and 37-year-old Jones commented, 'Shut your mouth and do as you're told,' along with a laughing emoji. The comment comes during a week in which Jones has been as vague as ever over the chances of him fighting Aspinall. In one video, he said, 'I'm done,' though he tweeted on the same day: 'I don't know if I wanna call it retired, I feel like I'll always have an ability to pop out and show em. I've had many breaks throughout my career, my identity outside of fighting is well intact. I'm genuinely enjoying life, I'm growing in different ways.' And earlier in the week, he tweeted: '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. 'Lol do I come across as the type of person who cares about things like [being stripped of the title]? [...] This, this attitude, right here is making me a very wealthy man. This desperation [from fans] is incredibly lucrative, so thank you. Keep it coming.' With the UFC , Jones vs Aspinall is unlikely to happen before October. UFC president Dana White did vow this month that he would soon announce the bout, but fans continue to await such an announcement.
Japan Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
Fighters already showing last season's playoff run was no fluke
Tsuyoshi Shinjo showed up for his first news conference as Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters manager in November 2021 wearing sunglasses, a gaudy red suit and a white shirt with an impossibly large popped collar. He said he wanted to be called 'Big Boss' instead of 'manager,' a stance he later doubled down on by changing his registered name in NPB to 'BIGBOSS,' which he wore on his uniform. That was the beginning of a yearlong spectacle. After arriving on a hovercraft before the team's home opener in 2022, Shinjo remained the center of attention for most of the season. He preened, the fans fawned and the cameras rolled. If his goal was to take the spotlight and pressure off his mostly young players, then it worked. Shinjo was the star, and it almost did not matter that the team finished in last place. But Shinjo gave a lot of players valuable experience, even shoving some out of their comfort zones. While the Fighters finished last again in 2023, they at least looked like they were building something. Shinjo has dialed back his antics lately, and perhaps with good reason — because it looks like the players are ready to take center stage. After making a playoff run last season, the Fighters look like a contender again early in 2025. Nippon Ham is 25-19-2 through 46 games, the best record in the Pacific League, and is tied with the Hanshin Tigers for the highest winning percentage (.588) in NPB. Even though the calendar has not reached June, over 30% of the season is in the books. So while it is still too early to talk about winning the pennant, there have been enough games played to say the Fighters look like the real deal. Shinjo did not inherit a winning club in 2022. The team had finished second from the bottom in the Pa League the previous three seasons under Hideki Kuriyama and had not won the pennant since Shohei Ohtani led it there in 2016. Shinjo had a lot of young players in Year 1. There were also questions about his lack of experience — he had never managed or coached previously — and how seriously the flamboyant personality would take the job. The Fighters, however, made incremental gains during a pair of last-place finishes, and the seeds sprouted last season are bearing fruit this year. The club's pitchers have performed very well in 2025. Haruki Hosono provided the latest example with seven innings of one-run ball against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in a 1-1 tie on Sunday afternoon. Nippon Ham leads the PL with a 2.33 team ERA, and its starters are the class of NPB so far with a 2.18 mark. The Fighters have five pitchers with at least six starts and none have an ERA over 3.00 — although three have thrown fewer than 50 innings. Ace Hiromi Ito, meanwhile, has a 2.36 ERA over 61 innings (the second-most frames in the league). The team pitched well in 2024, and its roster of arms can lead the charge again this year. The Fighters' Chusei Mannami is tied for the Pacific League lead with nine home runs. | JIJI Offensively, the club's batting average is not great (.230), but that has not stopped it from leading NPB with 44 home runs — nine more than the next-highest total — and being tied for second with 160 runs scored overall. Sixteen of the club's homers have driven in multiple runs, including Chusei Mannami's grand slam on May 10. The Fighters' fast start in the power department could bode well as the weather warms up later in the summer. The club also has a plus-32 run differential, second only to the Tigers in NPB, and ranks fourth overall with a .657 on-base plus slugging percentage. Mannami and Franmil Reyes are tied for the PL lead with nine home runs and tied for second with 25 RBIs. Reyes is also batting .264. After Kotaro Kiyomiya took a big step forward for the Fighters last season, Yuki Nomura, who has embraced the challenge of holding down the No. 4 spot in the order, might be taking a similar leap this year. He is batting .291 with six homers and leads the team with an .871 OPS. Nomura, however, is currently nursing an oblique strain. While the offense could be in trouble if the homers dry up, the Fighters are getting contributions from several players. Shinjo has also changed his approach, according to reports, leaning on his coaches and delegating more. So perhaps "Big CEO" is another reason for the Fighters' fast start. Nippon Ham has five games this week before the start of the interleague schedule, which has been a wildcard for teams in past pennant races. Understanding how playing the Central League teams can throw a wrench in a season, the Fighters have given Reyes a little work at first base to prepare for games in CL parks, where there will be no designated hitter, and are fastidiously going over their bunting strategies. The Fighters have a long way to go, but if the first half of the PL schedule is an indication, they have enough firepower to show that last season was no one-off. The Fighters played for growth and to develop players in Shinjo's first two years, and began to reap the rewards last year. Now they can play to win. In Year 4 of the Shinjo experiment, the manager may not be the most entertaining thing to watch when the pennant race finally heats up.
The Mainichi
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Baseball: Miyanishi sets relief appearance record as Fighters cruise
KITAHIROSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Left-hander Naoki Miyanishi set a Nippon Professional Baseball record of 880 consecutive appearances in relief Thursday as he helped the Nippon Ham Fighters beat the Orix Buffaloes 7-0. The 39-year-old, who has been with the Fighters since his professional debut in 2008, moved above former Chunichi Dragons lefty Hitoki Iwase to set the landmark with his 11th game this season. "It's not just a record for myself, and I want everyone to enjoy it," said Miyanishi (1-0), while addressing the home fans at Es Con Field Hokkaido. "While I'm waiting in the bullpen, I'm watching the game relaxed and without feeling nervous in order to give all I have once I get on the mound." The veteran came on with two out and a runner on third in the seventh and got Ryoma Nishikawa to ground out to get out of the jam, keeping the game scoreless. Yuya Gunji's bases-loaded, two-run single gave the Fighters the lead in the home half before he singled in two more runs in the Fighters' five-run eighth. Miyanishi became the first player in NPB to rack up 400 holds last August.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
UFC legend Jon Jones hits back at fans attacking him for 'ducking Tom Aspinall fight' while riding motorbike during live stream
Jon Jones has hit back at claims that he is ducking a massive fight with heavyweight rival Tom Aspinall. The American is yet to agree terms on a mega-fight against the British star, despite it being the natural, most obvious and significant contest of the year - should it take place. Aspinall has spoken of his patience running out and insisted he will soon move on from pushing to face the man many regard as MMA's greatest. In appearing on a live stream on Instagram, seemingly while riding or on the back of a motorbike, Jones responded to comments in the chat repeating the line that he is ducking Aspinall. One comment read: 'Doing everything but fighting Tom,' while another asked, 'why did you disappear?' Jones retorted: 'I've got people in the chat calling me a duck. 🚨 Jon Jones responds on IG live to everyone who says he is ducking Tom Aspinall: 'I've got people in the chat calling me a duck. Meanwhile, I'm living my absolute best life' 'I don't know if it's considered ducking when you're living good. I don't think it works like that.' — ACD MMA (@acdmma_) May 13, 2025 The British UFC star is desperate to upgrade his interim title by beating the American 'Meanwhile, I'm living my absolute best life' 'I don't know if it's considered ducking when you're living good. I don't think it works like that.' It seems as though Jones, 37, has no intention of facing Aspinall in the fight all fans want to see. No doubt he will continue to be criticised by fans who feel he is trying to protect his legacy rather than risk losing to the next generation's heavyweight superstar. Earlier, Aspinall had opened up on the situation and theorised about why Jones might be avoiding him. Aspinall told the High Performance Podcast: 'Me, personally, I can't do anything. 'I just think it's down to money on his side. I will fight whenever — whenever, wherever he wants — but it's down to money I think. 'I just think that at this stage in his career, he's had an amazing career, I just think that... he's like 37, 38 years old, but not only that, he's got a million miles on the clock. 'So he's got a lot of damage on the body, he's [taken] a lot of shots to the head. And that's not me saying anything negative. That's the reality of it, and I'm sure Jon Jones is aware of that. On positing that the hold-up is between Jones and the UFC over pay negotiations, the 32-year-old added: '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. '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.'
