Tom Aspinall didn’t have a hard time coming to terms with Jon Jones’ retirement.
Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) caught wind of the news of Jones’ retirement, but expected it to come during International Fight Week – not at a post-fight press conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. So the news of Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) retiring wasn’t entirely surprising for Aspinall, just the timing.
“It was always rumors of him retiring,” Aspinall said on “The Diary Of A CEO” podcast. “He’s putting stuff out in the media saying that he’s retiring because MMA, especially at an elite level, is quiet. You hear rumors a lot. I heard rumors from people close to him that he’s going to retire and that he’s not living like an athlete.”
With Jones calling it a career, Aspinall has now been promoted to the UFC heavyweight champion. That also means Aspinall has been on the sidelines for almost a year now, and won’t get his big title-unification bout with Jones.
“I think that he’s entitled to do whatever he wants, to be honest,” Aspinall said of Jones. “He’s done way more in the sport than I have, so he should do whatever he feels is right. Speaking as just a fighter here, for me personally, I don’t know if my ego could take it having not done it. But honestly, that’s his prerogative. I don’t hold any ill will against him for it, and I’m happy to move on with my career now that it’s over.”
Would Aspinall fight Jones if he decides to come back?
“With where he’s at, he can jump the queue anytime he wants,” Aspinall said. “A year down the line, we’ll have another three or four contenders knocking on for a title shot, but any time someone like him wants to step up and says, ‘Listen, I want to fight again,’ they’re going to get an immediate title shot. So I’m never going to count that out.
“I’m in a spot in my career where there’s not all that much footage out there on me. Maybe he sees something on me in the next few fights and he thinks, ‘You know what? I can beat this guy. I’m going to come back and beat him.’ So mentally, I’m never counting that out. The fight could always pop back up and come back around on me. That’s something that I would obviously accept.”
