Tom Aspinall has broken his silence after Dana White confirmed Jon Jones’ retirement and named him the new UFC heavyweight champion.
The British fighter had held the interim title for nearly two years without a chance to unify it against Jones. But during a press conference, White revealed that the former two-weight world champion had decided to retire, clearing the path for Aspinall to become the undisputed champion.
Jones is widely considered one of the sport’s greatest ever fighters – and while the Briton never got the chance to share the cage with him, he didn’t hide his excitement about finally taking the top spot in the division.
Tom Aspinall promises to be an active UFC heavyweight champion
Aspinall took to social media to address the news, promising fans that the attention will now shift back to the fights, rather than contractual debates and injuries.
He posted a photo of himself wearing the newly recognised title, captioned: “For you fans. It’s time to get this Heavyweight division going. An active Undisputed Champion.”
One fan replied: “Retired the goat as you said! That’s a nice win to add to the résumé sir.”
Ciryl Gane, ranked number one in the division, is currently expected to be Aspinall’s first title defence.
Dana White confirms Jon Jones retirement from UFC
During the UFC Baku press conference, Dana White revealed that Jones officially retired the night before in a phone call, ending long-standing speculation about his future.
The UFC’s official channels quickly posted a clip of White stating: “Jon Jones called us last night and retired. Jon Jones is officially retired and Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC.”
On his social media channels, Jones confirmed the decision and thanked fans for their support. He said: “I’m completely overwhelmed right now, I love you guys so much. Thank you.”
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