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Amid the backlash he received for his retirement from the sport, Jon Jones took to social media to respond to his critics. Jones has established a lasting legacy in MMA. However, a large segment of fans has criticized him for stepping away after holding up the heavyweight division for nearly two years.
During this time, Jones frequently shifted his position regarding the title unification bout against interim champion Tom Aspinall, while repeatedly expressing his interest in other fights that were perceived as less risky.
In a recent media post addressing his critics, Jones wrote:
"I guess everybody else gets to retire - just not when you’re still dominating. Funny how that works. Forget personal goals, forget business ventures. Some folks really believe you should fight until they say you’ve had enough. Wild. Imagine thinking a grown man shouldn’t control his own destiny."
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@ChampRDS re-shared the screenshot of Jones' post on X.
Ariel Helwani explains why he was disappointed with Jon Jones' retirement
While Jon Jones has remained firm in his decision to retire on his own terms, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani recently highlighted the reasons why Jones' retirement could negatively impacts his legacy.
Helwani pointed out Jones' multiple anti-doping policy violations, along with his refusal to fight Tom Aspinall, arguing that these factors prevent Jones from being considered the greatest of all time (GOAT) in MMA.
He also criticized Jones for failing to honor the tradition of giving opportunities to the next generation of fighters - a chance that was offered to him by the fighters from previous generations:
"You cannot be the GOAT if you have multiple PED infractions on your record. You can't. And you cannot be the GOAT if you did not want to do what others did for you. Time-honoured tradition - You fight the top contenders. Not only was Tom Aspinall the top contender, he was the interim champion for almost two years. You didn't want to fight him."
Check out Ariel Helwani's comments below:
