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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall twists continue amid ‘retired' claim
Jon Jones continues to emit mixed messages about the prospect of a fight with Tom Aspinall, 18 months after it was first mooted. Despite Jones holding the regular UFC heavyweight title and Aspinall owning the interim belt, a dynamic that has existed since November 2023, the pair are yet to have a bout booked. Advertisement Britain's Aspinall claimed the interim title by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich, as the pair stepped up after Jones sustained an injury that thwarted his planned defence against Stipe Miocic. That all-American match-up finally materialised 12 months later, in November 2024, with Jones stopping the divisional great – but only after Aspinall defended and retained the interim strap in July, a rare move in the UFC. Jones, 37, and Aspinall, 32, have therefore been poised for a unification fight for six months, yet 'Bones' continues to toy with Aspinall. On Tuesday (20 May), footage emerged of Jones saying, 'I'm done,' while seemingly on a video call with an old friend, who joked that the former light-heavyweight king could go on for another '10 years'. Yet on the same day, Jones posted an Instagram story of a video captioned: 'Have you ever seen a dog correct another dog like this?' The clip shows a dog incessantly barking at another, before a third dog arrives and instantly causes the vocal canine to become submissive. 'What I feel like returning to the UFC after some much needed downtime,' Jones wrote. Advertisement He later replied to a fan who wrote, 'How does it feel to be retired?', responding: '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.' Jon Jones shares an Instagram story seemingly referencing his attitude towards a fight with Tom Aspinall (@jonnybones via Instagram) This online activity followed a series of tweets from Jones on Sunday (18 May), when the controversial American hit back at fans. He wrote: '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.' Advertisement With the UFC having announced main events for its pay-per-views in June, July and August, as well as a Mexican-centric event in September, Jones vs Aspinall is unlikely to happen before October. UFC president Dana White did vow last week that he would soon announce the bout, but fans continue to await such an announcement. In an interview with UFC legend Demetrious Johnson on Wednesday (21 May), Aspinall said the wait for a fight with Jones has been more mentally taxing than his injury-induced year off, from 2022 until 2023. Jones (right) stopped Stipe Miocic in the third round, before the latter retired post-fight (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) 'Then, I was at a bit of a crossroads really,' said the Wigan heavyweight. 'I'd made a little bit of money then, I'd made enough to buy a house and stuff, and then it was like: Do I want to carry on with this thing? It was obviously devastating to get injured in front of everybody and stuff. But anyway, it was a tough time for me. Advertisement 'Came back, took me a year with the rehab, with the knee and everything… the physiotherapy and all that kind of stuff. So, it was a tough couple of months mentally, but then once I started working towards getting back, I'd see the doctor, I'd see the physio, they'd be like: 'In two weeks, this is what I want you doing in the gym. I want you squatting down to 90 degrees. I want you to be able to jump on this box. I want you to be able to run a mile and then you can start boxing, you can do this, that.' I always had a little goal to work towards. 'So, after a couple of months of being sat on the couch, as soon as I could get in the gym and start working towards different things, it was great and I felt good. I was like: 'I definitely want to come back. Now I'm going to go; I don't have any injuries, I'm going to win the heavyweight championship, I'm going to become this legend, I'm going to knock everybody out.' And all that stuff. I felt great about it. And I was on my recovery path to getting back. 'Now, 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 then [...] 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.' Tom Aspinall (left) drops Curtis Blaydes before sealing the knockout in their rematch (REUTERS) While some fans view Jones as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, his career has been marred by numerous failed drug tests and run-ins with the law. Still, the American is effectively unbeaten, with his sole loss having come via DQ in 2009. Advertisement Meanwhile, Aspinall is 15-3 in MMA and 8-1 in the UFC. In the promotion, his only defeat occurred due to injury, while all of his career finishes have come via stoppage. In the UFC, Aspinall holds the record for the shortest fight time of an athlete with five or more bouts; all of his wins in the promotion have come in the first two rounds – seven in round one, two in the first minute. Aspinall's decision to defend the interim belt was a rarity in the UFC, as the Wigan fighter aimed to stay active during Jones's absence. In that fight, Aspinall stopped Curtis Blaydes in 60 seconds, avenging his injury-induced loss to the American in 2022.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC champ Jon Jones won't say he's retired – but also doesn't deny it
It might be time for UFC fans to accept that heavyweight champion Jon Jones simply has no interest in a title unification bout with interim champ Tom Aspinall. The latest evidence of this came Wednesday when Jones answered an X user's presumptive question, "How does it feel to be retired?" Jones' response, which he quote-tweeted for his 3 million followers to see, was telling. "I don't know if I wanna call it retired," Jones wrote. "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." 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. — Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) May 21, 2025 That's the last thing UFC fans, who've been clamoring for Jones vs. Aspinall for months, want to hear. Jones repeatedly has been accused of ducking Aspinall, whom he didn't deem worthy, ever since he made it clear that he was uninterested in the matchup leading up to UFC 309. Immediately after his finish of Stipie Miocic last November, Jones said it would require "f*ck you money" to get him to agree to the fight. Since then, Jones has been lukewarm, at best, on fighting Aspinall. UFC CEO Dana White has publicly maintained he's confident Jones vs. Aspinall will be made this year. On Monday, Jones said on X "I told the (UFC) my plans a long time ago. I have no clue why they haven't shared them with you guys yet." 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. — Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) May 19, 2025 As of Wednesday, still no word on what those plans could be. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Did Jon Jones confirm he's retired? UFC champ's words speak volumes
Newsweek
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Jon Jones Drops Major Hint at UFC Future With Cryptic Post
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The highly disputed UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has given a strong hint regarding his future amidst an ongoing rivalry with interim champion Tom Aspinall. UFC fans are enthusiastic about the upcoming Jones-Aspinall showdown for the undisputed title, yet there has been no announcement after months of anticipation. UFC CEO Dana White has consistently assured that the fight will take place, even offering guarantees. However, all signs from Jones suggest a lack of interest in the bout, which casts doubt on whether the fight will actually happen, at least in 2025. MMA fighter Jon Jones reacts after his TKO victory against US MMA fighter Stipe Miocic in their heavyweight title bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York, November 16, 2024. MMA fighter Jon Jones reacts after his TKO victory against US MMA fighter Stipe Miocic in their heavyweight title bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York, November 16, 2024. Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP viaWhat has Jon Jones said about the Aspinall fight? On Sunday night, Jones went on a spree of answering questions from his followers on X, many of which were about the Aspinall fight. Jones responded to one of the messages with the latest update on where negotiations for the fight stand. "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 posted on X. 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. — Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) May 19, 2025 In response to another question about his plans, Jones gave a general answer, claiming he wants to continue "to monetize on this amazing brand that I've created," he wrote. Why do people want Jones to fight Aspinall? Jones' heavyweight has been lackluster so far, to say the least, facing an ill-prepared Ciryl Gane right from the start, and then fighting a Stipe Miocic who looked like a shell of his former self, likely because he is still fighting at over 40 years of age. Aspinall presents the greatest challenge of Jones' heavyweight career. At 32 years old, he has established himself as one of the premier heavyweights, demonstrating the ability to finish bouts both standing and on the ground. Additionally, he stands out as one of the most athletic heavyweights to compete, exhibiting remarkable speed and strength for his size. There is a compelling argument that Aspinall would serve as the most difficult examination of Jones' career. Tom Aspinall of England looks on ahead of the interim UFC heavyweight championship bout against Curtis Blaydes of the U.S. during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 28, 2024 in Manchester, England. Tom Aspinall of England looks on ahead of the interim UFC heavyweight championship bout against Curtis Blaydes of the U.S. during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 28, 2024 in Manchester, England. Photo by Ben/Getty Images However, Jones has consistently asserted that a match with Aspinall would not enhance his legacy, actively attempting to sidestep the confrontation thus far. In the lead-up to his fight with Miocic last November, Jones expressed a preference for facing former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira instead of Aspinall, stating he wished to avoid engaging with him altogether. Jones is arguably the greatest fighter of all time, and a match-up against a major threat like Aspinall would carry significant stakes. Even though Jones denies it, a victory over him would undoubtedly propel Aspinall into superstardom, while Jones would likely solidify his status as the G.O.A.T. if he triumphs over the deadly, well-rounded contender. The UFC will do everything possible to facilitate the fight, but given Aspinall's willingness and patience, it will ultimately be Jones who is remembered for either making the fight happen or for being the reason it never takes place. More MMA: Former UFC Champion Holly Holm Returns to Boxing Under Jake Paul Promotion UFC Announces Multiple Major Title Fights, Including Ilia Topuria LW Opponent
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Conan O'Brien responds to criticism after Kennedy Center appearance following Trump takeover
Comedian Conan O'Brien responded this week to criticism over his acceptance of the prestigious Mark Twain Award for American Humor last month at the Kennedy Center. President Donald Trump has become the chairman of the Kennedy Center since taking office, in a move that has made the theater a new front for the culture wars and prompted some liberal commentators and performers to announce that they will not attend shows in protest. O'Brien used his acceptance speech to address the Kennedy Center's leadership shake-up following Trump's ascendance to the chairmanship. He also thanked the Kennedy Center's former president Deborah Rutter and chairman David Rubenstein, as well as other staff members "who are worried about what the future might bring." Trump 'Embodies What Being An American Is All About,' Ufc's Dana White Says "Obviously for the last couple of months with the new administration, there's been some controversial stuff going on with the Kennedy Center," O'Brien said in this week's episode of his podcast, "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend." "There was a question of, 'Should I go? Should I not go?' And I felt like it was important to show up," O'Brien said on his show. Read On The Fox News App "We were brought in under the old regime," he explained, adding that the old leadership of the Kennedy Center is "no longer there but we should honor their decision." Hollywood Takes Shots At Trump While Celebrating Conan O'brien Amid Kennedy Center Shake-up "It was really lovely because the young people working at the Kennedy Center for years were delighted that we came," he said. "They don't know what their future is." Other comedians present at the award ceremony for O'Brien, including Sarah Silverman, took the opportunity to attack Trump several times at the Mark Twain event, specifically citing a 2016 appearance of hers on Conan on TBS where she dressed up as Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. "They wrote a bit where Conan interviews Hitler, who comes on because he's embarrassed that he's being compared to Donald Trump," Silverman said. Fox News' Diana Stancy contributed to this article source: Conan O'Brien responds to criticism after Kennedy Center appearance following Trump takeover
