The voices calling for Jon Jones to give up the UFC heavyweight title are getting louder and harder to ignore.
Ever since Jones beat Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 to make his first defence of the belt, the division has been stuck in a holding pattern.
While many believe the path forward is obvious, Jones has continued to brush off a fight with Tom Aspinall, even as the Briton holds the interim title.
The backlash has been growing, including a petition to strip Jones of the belt that has picked up thousands of signatures. And it isn’t just fans growing restless.
Alexandre Pantoja says Tom Aspinall ‘deserves’ more
Plenty of fighters, past and present, have spoken out against how Jones is handling the situation: flirting with retirement but remaining in control of the belt.
The latest to weigh in is UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja, who called the whole thing “sad” in a recent interview.
“Jon Jones is a very special fighter, everybody loves him, but what is happening now is sad,” Pantoja said.
“Maybe it’s time to say bye. Tom Aspinall deserves this fight, we deserve to see this fight. It’s not right that Aspinall is standing by.
“Nobody is going to judge Jon Jones, he doesn’t need to fight Aspinall, but if he doesn’t want to fight and he wants to retire, then I think he has to say bye,” Pantoja added. “I hope Aspinall is still training and in the gym and he doesn’t waste his time.”
Pantoja’s run as champion has looked very different from Jones’ recent stretch. ‘The Cannibal’ has already defended his title three times since winning it less than two years ago, with a fourth coming up against Kai Kara-France at UFC 317 on June 28.
Alexander Volkanovski echoes Pantoja’s thoughts on Jon Jones
Pantoja isn’t alone among champions in his view. UFC featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski made a similar point recently on the Overdogs Podcast, saying Jones needs to either unify the belts or step aside.
“If you’re the champ, you defend your belt. It’s a responsibility,” Volkanovski said. “You can’t just sit out. You need to be reasonably active. You need to fight whoever’s there. If you’ve got an interim champ, that’s a no-brainer.”
“Don’t hold up the division. I know your résumé is incredible. You’re considered the greatest of all time,” Volkanovski added. “So if you don’t want to fight, just retire, you’re done.”
UFC president Dana White has insisted recently that the fight between Jones and Aspinall is still being worked on – even claiming that Jones agreed to it at one stage. But as things stand, the frustration is only growing, both inside and outside the cage.
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