"I wasn't going to play games" - When Jon Jones vacated his UFC belt to avoid holding up the division

Instead of giving up his heavyweight throne, Jon Jones delayed his title unification bout with the then-interim champion Tom Aspinall and eventually called off his MMA career last month, prompting criticism from many. However, Jones did vacate one of his titles when he ended his light heavyweight reign.

After his title fight with Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 was ruled a no contest, Jones made his octagon return to face Alexander Gustafsson in a rematch for the vacant 205-pound belt at UFC 232. 'Bones' knocked out Gustafsson in the third round and went on to defend his belt three times, defeating Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Dominick Reyes.

Jones then hinted at a superfight with the former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and in August 2020, he took to X and announced his decision to vacate his light heavyweight belt. In his statement, the American stated that he would need time to prepare for his heavyweight move and that the 205-pound division should move on with another undisputed champion.

''I vacated the light heavyweight championship because I knew my heavyweight goals were going to take some time. I wasn’t going to play games with the contenders and make people fight interim championship belts. There’s little rest on the throne.''

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Jones took on Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight belt at UFC 285, marking his return after three years. The MMA legend solidified his legacy by becoming a double champion via an opening-round submission victory. However, a pectoral injury forced Jones out of competition.

During Jones' absence, Aspinall became the interim champion and voiced his desire to face the 37-year-old in an undisputed title matchup. However, Jones dismissed the Brit on several occasions and defended his throne against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 last year, securing a third-round knockout win.

Jones eventually retired last month without meeting Aspinall in a title unification bout, which sparked criticism from many in the MMA community who were looking forward to their highly anticipated contest.

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena