Stepping into UFC 309, Jon Jones faced criticism for two reasons; ‘ducking’ the interim champion Tom Aspinall and fighting someone five years his senior, Stipe Miocic who is all 42. It didn’t help that, just the night before, Jake Paul fought and beat someone who is 31 years his senior in Mike Tyson. Many fans believed the Croatian-American former two-time heavyweight champion, Miocic, was an easy target for ‘Bones.’ The perception was that Jones’ victory wasn’t solely due to his spinning kick, but also because Miocic’s age was catching up with him.

However, earlier this week, Chael Sonnen hit back at Jon Jones’ critics by offering a strong defense of him while speaking to Ariel Helwani. Sonnen dismissed the criticism, saying, “Father time did not beat Stipe. Jon Jones beat Stipe. That’s just what happened. And to imagine how good Jon could be if he followed some of the laws of logic—if he stayed active if, he stayed consistent.”

This unexpected support from Sonnen shocked fans who have known him as a long-time critic of New York native. The comments even caught the attention of Jon Jones himself, who wasted no time sharing a clip of the interview on his Instagram story, appreciating Sonnen’s remark. ‘Bones’ wrote, “Chael not being a hater for once, this is refreshing,” expressing his surprise at Sonnen’s sudden change of heart.

Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones first crossed paths 11 years ago at UFC 159, where ‘Bones’ delivered a brutal first-round TKO, showcasing his dominance. This victory marked the 16th UFC title bout win of Jones’ career. However, this was not the first time Chael Sonnen defended Jon Jones against the harsh judgment of fans.

Chael Sonnen Defends Jon Jones Against ‘Ducking Tom Aspinall’ Accusations

Since Tom Aspinall became the interim champion last year by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295, his aspirations of becoming the division leader only grew exponentially. However, Jon Jones and Dana White were not keen on fulfilling Aspinall’s desire right away. Instead, both White and New York native were focused on making the Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight happen first, claiming the senior fighters should settle their score before the younger Aspinall gets his chance.

With White saying, “This is a fight that they both wanted“, the fight was initially scheduled for UFC 295 but was pushed to UFC 309 after ‘Bones’ tore his pectoral muscle. Criticism against the heavyweight champion grew as fans began teasing him for “ducking” Tom Aspinall, especially when Jones hinted that his UFC 309 fight could be his last. The criticism became louder as fans questioned Jones’ commitment to facing the rising contender.

However, Chael Sonnen came to Jones’ defense, offering his own reasoning. Sonnen claimed, “My interpretation is that Jon isn’t planning to retire or shying away from fighting Aspinall. He’s laser-focused on Stipe. The biggest risk for Jones is if he starts splitting his attention. If he tries to fight two opponents at once, that’s when things could get tricky. Any notion that he’s dismissing Aspinall is a misinterpretation.”

What’s your opinion on Chael Sonnen’s comments regarding Stipe Miocic’s defeat? Do you think Jon Jones’ explosive performance is what ultimately knocked Miocic out, or was Miocic’s age the deciding factor, leading to his bad defeat and injury at 42? Share your thoughts below.