Will Jon Jones Retire After His Next Fight?
Jon Jones is unsure if he will retire after his next UFC fight, which is expected to be against Stipe Miocic.
Bones is the UFC Heavyweight Champion, a belt he acquired after beating Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. The win followed after three years away from the sport. He was scheduled to face Miocic at UFC 295 in the first defense of his title. However, the fight was pulled after Jones withdrew with a pectoral muscle injury, which he suffered in sparring.
Before the injury, it was suggested that the winner could retire. Since then, there have been several other contenders who could face Jones. Tom Aspinall, the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion, has been chasing Jones. After Jones’ injury, Tom wanted Bones stripped so he could face Miocic for the belt. The winner would then face Jones. Dana White refused to do that, as Aspinall faced Sergei Pavlovich for the interim belt.
Jones vs. Pereira
Aspinall knocked out Pavlovich in the first round at UFC 295. He will now face Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, the only man to have beaten him. Should Aspinall win, the focus will shift to Jones. At the same time, there is the possibility that Alex Pereria will face Jones. He knocked out Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 to retain his UFC Light Heavyweight Title. Alex hinted that he could move up to heavyweight, with Jones suggesting this was a bigger fight than Aspinall.
“It would be absolutely massive. A guy with a chance to be three-division champion and a GOAT versus the actual GOAT. Same age, different strengths. No one can argue that that would be the biggest fight in MMA history. There’s absolutely no fight that generates a payday like that. Marketing would be insane. You actually think me fighting Tom would be more massive than Alex and I colliding?
“Tom only matters in the U.K., newsflash. Pereira is one of the most polarizing figures this sport has seen. Tom’s a contender who won a belt against another contender. We had to save Madison Square Garden’s main event. I’m thinking dollar signs, legacy, big picture here. Not what U.K. fans are dying to see. Literally just went through this with the French fans,” Jones said
Jones’ Future
Now, Jones has said he is unsure over his next steps.
“Honestly, it’s hard to say right now, I’m gonna base a lot of that on my next performance. The options are looking crazy right now,” Jones said
Aspinall has said he will focus on creating his legacy if he cannot secure that fight. If Jones does retire, he will be the leading contender to dominate the division. But before he does that, he cannot afford to overlook Blaydes. Jones taunted Aspinall, stating that he expected Blaydes to come out on top. Aspinall injured his knee in their first fight, which ended in the opening round. Regardless, Blaydes had his own view on Jones. He expected Bones to walk away after the Miocic fight.
“I fully believe [Jones will retire]. He’ll have to prove us wrong. That’s what I believe. That’s what a lot of guys think. Obviously we talk about these things at the gym, I have the perspective of other fighters, other coaches, other people in the MMA world, and I haven’t heard anyone who really believes that he isn’t going to retire,” Blaydes revealed
Comments
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
