By FCF Staff

Following months of speculation as to whether Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall will fight, and repeated claims from Dana White the bout would happen, the latter’s announced “Bones” has retired.

Following the UFC’s event in Baku, Azerbaijan, White reported that Jones contacted the promotion on Friday and announced he is retiring. As a result, Aspinall is now the undisputed, heavyweight champion.

Jones (28-1), who is set to turn 38 next month, had repeatedly said over the last year or so that he could retire soon. The former light-heavyweight champ last competed in November, when he defended the heavyweight title by stopping Stipe Miocic.

Ever since Aspinall (15-3) won the interim heavyweight title in November, 2023, by taking out Sergei Pavlovich, Jones was repeatedly asked about the possibility of a unification fight. The decorated and polarizing fighter, however, consistently argued he did not need to fight Aspinall to enhance his legacy.

In 2011, Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history at the age of 23, by stopping Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to win the light-heavyweight title. After defending the light-heavyweight title yet again in 2020, via a controversial decision win over Dominick Reyes, Jones announced he was moving up to heavyweight.

Jones secured the vacant heavyweight title in March, 2023, by quickly submitting Ciryl Gane.