Jon Jones’ sudden departure has left many followers wanting extra, together with ESPN persona Stephen A. Smith.
The sports activities pundit spoke about Jones’ retirement on First Take, praising “Bones” for his accomplishments and unbelievable expertise, however criticizing him for avoiding the one man everybody needed to see him struggle: Now-undisputed heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
Jones vs. Aspinall will stay of MMA’s nice ‘What if?’ matchups for the foreseeable future following Jones hanging up the gloves at 37. The heavyweight stars appeared destined for an in-cage collision with Jones claiming a vacant title at UFC 285 and Aspinall an interim title at UFC 295 and each fighters later efficiently defending these belts. Nevertheless, Jones repeatedly shot down the potential for a unification bout, citing a scarcity of curiosity in preventing Aspinall, who he didn’t deem to be a worthy opponent.
Smith doesn’t agree with Jones strolling away with out settling the rating with the clear-cut No. 1 contender.
“I’m not going to accuse the best combined martial artist I’ve ever seen in my life, Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, I’ve that a lot admiration for him or no matter,” Smith stated. “Having stated that, I’m extremely, extremely disenchanted with this information.
“Right here’s what I wish to say to Jon ‘Bones’ Jones. He’s completely phenomenal. He’s the actual deal. He’s a kind of dudes {that a} man like Aspinall—he’s been on the file saying [Aspinall] simply irritates me, annoys me, he doesn’t even wish to be requested about Tom Aspinall throughout interviews—properly, now along with your retirement, Aspinall is the undisputed heavyweight champion. My level is in case you are a fighter, which he’s at a really elite stage, and that’s the struggle that individuals wish to see, give us the struggle that we wish to see.”
Most troubling to Smith is that the heavyweight championship conflict appeared to be served up on a silver platter to the UFC. However by all accounts, the matchup by no means taking place falls solely on Jones’ shoulders and Smith questions why Jones couldn’t discover the motivation to knock off yet another rival.
“What will we complain about with boxing?” Smith stated. “We complain about promoters and others getting in the way in which of getting us the fights that we wish to see after we wish to see it. Jon ‘Bones’ Jones is actually this sort of individual. In case you get on his nerves, one in all two issues will occur: He’ll wish to kick your ass, which he’s absolutely able to doing and does at an elite stage, or he’ll say, ‘The hell with you. I’m not going to provide the privilege of preventing me,’ as a result of that fighter annoys him versus wanting on the viewers out right here spanning thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of individuals, who acknowledge your greatness and wish to see you towards this man who’s been calling you out for the longest time.
“Deal with it. Deal with it, then retire if you wish to, however don’t retire as a result of guess what, there’s probably not a struggle on the market that you just’re keen on. This man irritates you so the hell with it, I’m not going to present him the privilege to struggle me. It ain’t about that. That viewers on the market who loves you, who acknowledges your unquestionable greatness, we wish to see you deal with this man.”
Although all events concerned seem to have moved on from the feud—especially with Jones having more pressing legal matters to deal with—Smith believes White remains to be open to seeing Jones and Aspinall meet contained in the octagon.
“Dana White would make that struggle tomorrow if Jon ‘Bones’ Jones desires to do it,” Smith stated. “We wish to see it, so I’m disenchanted to listen to this information, as a result of Jon ‘Bones’ Jones is simply too nice.”
Roundtable. Ilia Topuria fights for a second title at UFC 317. However should he be careful what he wished for?
Bye. Fans react to Jon Jones’ retirement—and never everyone seems to be shedding tears over the information.
Egads. Jones’ lawyer is “stunned” by his consumer’s newest felony expenses.
GOAT. Andrei Arlovski sliced a dude’s face up at BKFC 76.
Fantastic. Dana White says Francis Ngannou ain’t coming back to the UFC and Ngannou has no downside with that.
Actual. Joaquin Buckley made no excuses for his loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta.
Actually actual. Kevin Lee had his jaw wired shut after brutal PFL 6 knockout loss.
Did Jones’ retirement actually simply get introduced at a UFC Baku post-fight press convention???
MMA Preventing’s José Youngs catches up with Diego Lopes at Fanatics Fest.
Shifting on from geese to clay pigeons.
UFC 317 Countdown.
UFC Embedded.
Ilia Topuria’s UFC journey to this point.
On To the Subsequent One. MMA Preventing’s Mike Heck and Alexander Ok. Lee recap a dreary UFC Baku card, focus on how shut Khalil Rountree is to a different title shot, plus matchups for the remainder of the principle card’s massive winners.
The perfect knockouts of the week.
Hilo con los mejores KOs/TKOs de la semana. High 10
— Barrele la pierna (@Barrelelapierna) June 23, 2025
Banger.
Consideration, fighters:
Very cool.
Hear him out.
The champ champ champ champ champ…
Sure.
Get ‘er in there!
Nassourdine Imavov (16-4, 1 NC) vs. Caio Borralho (17-1, 1 NC); UFC Paris, Sept. 6
Reug Reug (7-1) vs. Anatoly Malykhin (14-1) 2; ONE 173, Nov. 16
Why does it really feel like Jon Jones retiring by some means means I’m going to have to listen to about Jon Jones greater than ever?
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