UFC News: Jon Jones Confirms Retirement Rumors as HW Champ’s Plans After UFC 309 Exposed

36-year-old Jon Jones is all set to return to the Octagon by the end of the year, preferably in November. ‘Bones’ has been out of action for quite some time now after suffering a shoulder injury before his UFC 295 fight. However, it now seems that the current champion is on the road to recovery, much to the delight of the fans.

Amidst all the chaos involving his return, there has been a recent development regarding Jones’s career. According to the latest chat revealed by a fan on X, ‘Bones’ will be retiring after the Stipe Miocic fight. But is it true?

Jon Jones to make $15 million in his next fight

At 36 years old, Jon Jones is definitely at the twilight of his career, with limited fights left in the tank. The heavyweight champion was all set to take on Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 to defend his title. However, the fight never happened as Jones suffered a shoulder injury during his practice session and thus Tom Aspinall fought against Sergei Pavlovich to win the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion title.

Meanwhile, ‘Bones’ is back, and it now seems that the much-awaited battle will finally take place between two of the best in the business. However, there’s one bad news for most of Jon Jones fans. According to the latest leaked chat by a social media user on X, ‘Bones’ will retire after his Miocic fight.

The exact details of the chat are not clear at the moment, but the chat hints at a probable retirement. One of the messages read, “I’ve already agreed to make $15 million my next fight… hell yeah bro, I’m about to beat up this old man. And right off into the sunset. Hope you enjoy watching Will.” Most of the fans wanted Jones to take on a much younger opponent like Tom Aspinall to prove his worth. But it seems ‘Bones’ is willing to test himself against a much-experienced fighter in Miocic.

The 36-year-old has yet to announce his retirement from the sport or give an official clarification on the leaked chats, but it will be interesting to see what happens in the future. Meanwhile, one of Jones’ long-time rivals, Tom Aspinall, is all set to make a return at UFC 304 next. Despite being an interim champion, ‘Honey Badger’ is yet to get a chance to fight the current champion.

With Jones ready to make a return, what will be the future of Aspinall and his interim champion belt? Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen in his latest interview shared the exact details.

Tom Aspinall’s interim belt in danger as revealed by UFC insider

Fan’s favorite UFC analyst, Chael Sonnen, recently sat down for a chat with Demetrious Johnson. While speaking to the former flyweight champion, Sonnen seemed very concerned about Aspinall. The 31-year-old won the interim title at UFC 295 after Jones pulled out of the fight against Miocic. However, with Jones returning to action, Uncle Sonnen feels Aspinall will be stripped of the belt. While speaking to ‘Mighty’, he said, “The interim champion can only exist when there is the absence of an undisputed champion. And therefore the moment the bell rings for Jon Jones’s next fight, there is no longer an interim champion.” 

Sonnen also cleared the fact that Jones has no interest in taking on Aspinall at the moment. Despite fans wanting to witness the battle, the UFC analyst feels the fight is a far-fetched dream. The 47-year-old added, “Jon Jones and Stipe go fight. Jon Jones takes the microphone says ‘I’m retired.’ Boom! Aspinall now elevates [to undisputed champion]. Jon Jones says ‘I’m not going to retire,’ and you got Interim Champion versus Undisputed Champion, [right]? Wrong.”

What are your thoughts about the future of Jones and Aspinall in the UFC? Let us know in the comments below.