The pressure is mounting, but Jon Jones isn’t blinking. Despite a wave of frustration from fans and fighters alike, the UFC heavyweight champ continues to play by his own rules—and ignore demands to face interim titleholder Tom Aspinall.
Jones claimed the heavyweight throne with a dominant submission win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, but has only stepped into the Octagon once since. A torn pec sidelined him before UFC 295, where he was slated to defend against former champ Stipe Miocic. In his absence, Aspinall seized the interim title, sparking widespread anticipation for a unification bout.
But Jones has largely brushed off Aspinall’s challenge, choosing instead to return against Miocic at UFC 309. The Brit has made it clear he wants Jones, but “Bones” seems unbothered—open to the fight only if the paycheck is massive enough, otherwise teasing retirement.
That indifference has pushed fans to act. A petition on Change.org calling for the UFC to strip Jones of his title has now gathered over 82,000 signatures, fueled by frustration over his inactivity and unwillingness to unify the belt.
Jones didn’t hold back in response, posting “The equivalent to pico grams” on Instagram—a pointed nod to the infamous drug-testing controversy at UFC 232 that clouded his career. The comment referenced the minuscule amounts of banned substance that led to his suspension, later dismissed by USADA as too small to matter.
Nobody knows if we’ll ever actually see Jones vs Aspinall. But with fans speaking loudly—and Jones clapping back just as sharply— the debate over the true king of heavyweight rages on.
