Jon Jones is retired. So says UFC CEO Dana White, anyway.
White made the announcement that Jones—the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight champion, the most dominant light heavyweight champion in the promotion’s history, and arguably the greatest fighter of all-time — has officially hung up the gloves. The news means Jones forfeits his heavyweight belt and interim champion Tom Aspinall has been promoted to undisputed status.
Jones’ retirement puts an end to a years-long saga in which he and Aspinall made their case to be the UFC’s top heavyweight, with Jones moving up from 205 pounds to win undisputed title fights against Ciryl Gane and Stipe Miocic, and Aspinall winning interim title bouts against Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes to improve his record in the division to 8-1. A bout between the two seemed inevitable on paper, but Jones routinely dismissed Aspinall and said he had no interest in ever fighting to unify the belts.
None of that matters now, with Jones gone and Aspinall officially at the top of the heavyweight mountain.
Jones is yet to speak on the announcement himself, leaving the MMA community to wonder if “Bones” is actually gone for good.
Check out social media reactions to Jones’ retirement below.
Jon Jones retired and there isn’t anything massive put together for his announcement? Just a post fight 3 second clip of Dana annoying it….Seems like he’ll be back to me. #UFCBaku
— Julian marquez (@JMarquezMMA) June 21, 2025
Congrats champ. You deserve that
Now, lets make the only fight who make sense! Aspinall vs Almeida for undisputed HW title of the world
Gane ducks you and me before, already fought for the belt and lost 2-times, and his last win was a robbery@AspinallMMA @danawhite @Mickmaynard2 pic.twitter.com/RiTrNu4CCj— Jailton Almeida “Malhadinho” (@Malhadinho_UFC) June 21, 2025
Congrats Jon Jones. You the GOAT.
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 21, 2025
New era has begun https://t.co/DjQHUF2IiK
— Charles “InnerG” Johnson (@innerGmma_ufc) June 21, 2025
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) June 21, 2025
Congratulations to our champion @AspinallMMA pic.twitter.com/IJCE5RNunf
— Muhammad Mokaev (@muhammadmokaev) June 21, 2025
Glad Jon Jones didn’t break Cain Velasquez HW title length as champion by not fighting. Glad MMA can move on from this chapter. It’s #TomTime @AspinallMMA https://t.co/QbTBW42Xb2
— Josh Thomson (@THEREALPUNK) June 21, 2025
— DT (@darrentill2) June 21, 2025
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