Jon Jones calls to be stripped of UFC title reach wild new high as fans take drastic action
Calls for Jon Jones to be stripped of his UFC heavyweight title continue to grow louder.
The 37-year-old hasn’t competed in the Octagon since last November when he made light work of Stipe Miocic to retain his 265lbs strap.
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Jones has defended his UFC heavyweight title just onceCredit: GETTYIn the immediate aftermath, UFC president Dana White assured the media that a unification clash with long-suffering interim champion Tom Aspinall would come next.
However, an agreement has still not been reached six months later, while Jones continues to distance himself from the clash.
MMA fans are growing tired of waiting to see what Jones does next, and so they have taken the issue into their own hands.
Two weeks ago, a Change.org petition was set up calling for the UFC to strip Jones of his full world title if he doesn’t defend it against Aspinall.
READ MORE ON MMA The appeal has now received 108,000 signatures at the time of writing.
Jones reacted to the petition earlier this week when it was sitting on 40,000 signatures.
āThe equivalent to pico grams,ā he laughed, referencing his failed drug test in 2019.
Whether the petition leads to anything is yet to be seen, although Jones’ recent comments don’t point towards a fight with Aspinall getting over the line anytime soon.
‘Bones’ was recently filmed telling one of his friends that his career is ‘over’, while he has shown more interest in sharing the cage with former middleweight and light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, than Aspinall.
“More than likely not,” Jones said when asked about facing Aspinall at his post-fight press conference in November.
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Aspinall is the interim champion and next in line for a shot at the full world titleCredit: GETTY”I feel likeĀ Tom AspinallĀ is – I don’t want to say nobody – but he hasn’t proven anything, he hasn’t done anything.
“I’m not here to gamble on someone else making a name off of me…
“If there were to be a fight with a guy that’s still on our UFC roster,Ā that would be not only financially worth it, but legacy worth it, it would beĀ Alex Pereira.
“Alex Pereira and I, we’re both 37 years old. Right now I weigh about 235 [pounds]. I’m an incredibly light heavyweight.
“I think Pereira walks around at 240. I think that fight would go much farther on my legacy than a young man who’s cool today and maybe gone tomorrow.”
More recently, Jones gave aĀ cryptic update on social media where he revealed that he has already informed the UFC of his future plans.
I’m done! Jon Jones appears to hint at UFC retirement in bizarre video handing Tom Aspinall massive blow
“Y’all barkin’ up the wrong tree, I told the UFC my plans a long time ago,” he tweeted.
“I have no clue why they havenāt shared them with you guys yet.”
