Jon Jones Believes Tom Aspinall Took the Easy Way Out After Vacating UFC Title
Jon Jones has put Tom Aspinall's eye-injury explanation for relinquishing his UFC title under scrutiny.
After a recent training accident aggravated his eye injuries, Tom Aspinall finally relinquished his heavyweight title on September 14. 'Bones', however, thinks there's more to the story behind that decision.
Jon Jones Casts Doubt on Aspinall's Eye-Injury Claims
Tom Aspinall was forced to take a break from the UFC after a double eye-poke incident against Ciryl Gane last year. That put the division in limbo, drawing criticism from Henry Cejudo and Dana White. Although he has now vacated the belt, Jon Jones is having a hard time buying his explanation for that.
Reacting to a post by Championship Rounds detailing Aspinall's agency in releasing the belt, an X user wrote, "This confirms that his “injury” wasn’t that big of a deal and the UFC was confident that he could defend his belt in due course.
"Aspinall however knows he can’t beat Ciryl Gane so took the easy way out. Absolutely shameless!"
Jones agreed with the inflammatory accusations with a simple three-word response: "My sentiments exactly."
My sentiments exactly https://t.co/MJqbMc9U51
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) September 15, 2026
Following this retweet, the two-division champ continued tossing subtle digs at the 'Honey Badger' online. Quoting an X post by MMA Joey arguing Aspinall was never worthy of the undisputed title, Jones wrote, "Ouch." He also showed his approval of another tweet by the same user drawing comparisons with Gane's fight with Bones.
"Jon Jones gets brutally fouled by Ciryl Gane in the first 30 seconds, never complained & then demolished him 2 mins later," the user insisted. Indeed, Gane had landed a groin kick early in the fight at UFC 285 before Jones submitted the former at 2:04 of the first round.
Talks for a $30 million fight between Aspinall and Bones floated last year, which the latter rejected. Still, the tension between the pair remains.
Jon Jones Might Return to UFC this Year
Retirement talks are always in and out for the two-division champion. Despite confirming his retirement from the UFC last year, the heavyweight phenom once again joined the promotion's testing pool to keep his chances open.
The UFC Freedom 250 event at White House offered some hope for Bones' fans, with a fight with Alex Pereira under consideration. Instead, Ciryl Gane received that opportunity, knocking out 'Poatan'.
Still, Jon Jones is keeping himself open to any opportunities the promotion might offer. Still under a contract with the UFC, Jones hopping back into the heavyweight drama following Aspinall's withdrawal does not seem entirely impossible.
In fact, per Bloody Elbow, the American menace has already been tested thrice this year, keeping the door open to a potential comeback if the right offer sticks.
