Vying for the world title shot is one thing, but staying at the precipice for many years is a feat of its own. This is something that depicts the career of Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, who has ruled the roost since 2011. Staying at the top with a mammoth 16 title wins to his name has granted him ‘GOAT’ status. Even the UFC head, Dana White, stands firmly behind Jones in his claim to be the P4P greatest fighter ever.
Leading up to his title defense against Stipe Miocic, Jones has made his retirement plans abundantly clear. However, the 37-year-old martial artist also entertained the idea of a super fight with Alex Pereira. The Stipe Miocic hurdle at UFC 309 is the lonesome obstacle to this dream match. He touched upon this topic in a conversation with Ketone-IQ about whether he would retire after his next fight.
I feel like whether I retire or not would depend on this next performance (Stipe Miocic). One of my main goals is to make it look really easy and If I can accomplish that, then curiosity will keep me in the game.
Jon Jones via Ketone-IQ Interview YouTube
UFC CEO Dana White has been quite confident about Jones walking back retirement talk after his next outing. Being one of the biggest supporters of Jon Jones, the UFC head feels he still has a lot to offer. Jones vs. Tom Aspinall feels like the biggest fight out there for the UFC boss. Despite being snubbed by the champion, Aspinall has continued his campaign to face Jones for a title unification bout.
Sadly for him, Jones isn’t too keen on defending his title against the Englishman. His continuous refusal has gone so far as to irk UFC legend Michael Bisping, who called for the promotion to strip him. Meanwhile, Stipe Miocic is prepared to play spoilsport, vowing to end the fight with a KO. Despite Dana White’s push for him to continue, Jones feels comfortable calling it a career with 16 years in the game.
Dana White confident Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic won’t retire after UFC 309
The long-staying controversy over Aspinall’s pending undisputed title shot is still a major talking point in MMA. The English fighter eagerly awaits the result of the UFC 309 main event to dictate his fate. Dana White doubts Jones or Miocic would retire after their next outing. He believes the eluding Tom Aspinall match-up will certainly happen sometime in the future.
The Englishman is banging on the doorsteps for a mega-fight with 3 KO wins in a row. Both Jones and Miocic have built an incredible resume over the years, and a clash with Aspinall seems like a logical next option. He shared his thoughts on the state of the heavyweight division and stated that the dispute in the heavyweight division will be resolved soon.
I truly believe that whoever wins this fight, just competitively the way that these guys are wired and the reason that they’re both massive legends in the sport, they’re not going to just ride off into the sunset without settling the dispute with Tom Aspinall.
Dana White via TNT Sport
The UFC boss strongly believes Aspinall deserves the same opportunities that were once given to Jones and Miocic in their early days. It is chances like these that set the scene for a fighter to turn into a big name. A clash with the winner of UFC 309 just might turn into a PPV blockbuster, and it is something fans are eagerly hoping to see.
