Jon Jones stepped away from the ongoing discussions about a potential fight with Tom Aspinall to address his earlier comments concerning the UFC`s top pound-for-pound fighter, Islam Makhachev.
The situation between UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and interim titleholder Tom Aspinall remains uncertain. The promotion is giving vague updates on their negotiation status. A potential clash between Jones and Aspinall might occur as early as September, as the UFC`s summer schedule is already quite packed with significant fights.
Earlier this week, Jones stirred controversy and angered some UFC fans when a leaked FaceTime conversation showed him stating, “I`m done,” implying retirement. However, Jones has since retracted this stance, and UFC CEO Dana White remains determined to make the fight with Aspinall happen.
In the meantime, Jones is participating as a coach opposite former UFC star Nate Diaz in a Russian adaptation of The Ultimate Fighter. During the filming of the show, Jones caused a stir by referring to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev as “still young to the sport.” This remark significantly upset many devoted fans of the current pound-for-pound king.
Jones Explains His Assessment of Islam Makhachev
During the reality show`s filming, Diaz and Jones were discussing the UFC`s pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter. Diaz began to downplay the Dagestani fighter`s achievements in the Octagon. Jones`s response, labeling Makhachev an “up-and-coming” fighter, was seen as a surprising remark about one of the UFC`s biggest names.
Many of Makhachev`s fans on social media reacted strongly to Jones`s comment, even more so than to Diaz`s, which is notable given Diaz`s complex history with Dagestani fighters. It didn`t take Jones long to address the resulting controversy.
In a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, Jones responded to the fan backlash regarding his comments about Makhachev.
“I feel like the comment I made, made a lot of people upset, a lot of Islam’s fans upset,” Jones stated. “But really what I was trying to do was I was trying to translate for Nate to the Russians. Nate speaks in a very laid back way, he speaks with a lot of slang. If you’re not American, it may be hard to understand what he was saying.”
He continued, “So I was just trying to translate for Diaz. But at the same time, me saying that Islam is an up-and-coming fighter, when it’s coming from me, I can say that.”
“Not many people can say that, I can.”
In recent years, Jones has frequently questioned the placement of both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev in the pound-for-pound rankings. Jones has previously suggested that Nurmagomedov`s decision to retire after UFC 254 affects his standing in debates about the greatest fighter of all time (GOAT).
Makhachev has an opportunity to further build his legacy later this year when he potentially challenges for a second UFC title against welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena. Della Maddalena recently defeated Makhachev`s teammate, Belal Muhammad, at UFC 315 earlier this month.
Jones Addresses Retirement Rumors Amidst Aspinall Fight Uncertainty
Following Jones`s recent clarification on his retirement status, he and his team are expected to refocus on negotiating with the UFC brass for his next fight. Jones last competed in November at UFC 309, where he won the heavyweight championship by defeating Stipe Miocic.
Tom Aspinall secured the interim heavyweight title last year at UFC 304 with a victory over Curtis Blaydes. Aspinall was present cageside at UFC 309, but Jones did not explicitly challenge him by name in his post-fight comments after defeating Miocic.
As the situation regarding the potential Jones vs. Aspinall fight remains unresolved, fan impatience continues to grow. The mixed martial arts community is eagerly hoping that the highly anticipated heavyweight clash will eventually come to fruition.
Jack Thornley