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USA Today
4 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 8 post-event facts: Azerbaijan debut gets historically long card
The debut of the octagon in Azerbaijan will not be an event that hold in the memory bank after 10 of 12 bouts on Saturday's UFC on ABC 8 card at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku went to the scorecards. Among the fights to go the distance was the main event, where Khalil Rountree Jr. (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) largely battered Jamahal Hill (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) over five rounds to claim a unanimous decision and the biggest win of his career. For more inside the numbers in the aftermath of the card, check below for MMA Junkie's post-event facts from UFC on ABC 8. Event stats The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $155,000. Debuting fighters went 1-2 at the event. Nazim Sadykhov and Nikolas Motta earned $100,000 UFC on ABC 8 fight-night bonuses. UFC on ABC 8 had an announced attendance of 14,424. No live gate was revealed. Betting favorites went 7-5 on the card. Betting favorites fell to 13-8 in UFC headliners this year. Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:53:52. It marked the longest 12-bout card in UFC history and the 11th longest fight card in company history overall. Khalil Rountree Jr. def. Jamahal Hill Rountree Jr.'s 14 knockdowns landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied with Chuck Liddell and Mauricio Rua for most in divisional history. Hill suffered three consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn't earned a victory since January 2023. Hill suffered the first decision loss of his career. Rafael Fiziev def. Ignacio Bahamondes Rafael Fiziev (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) snapped a three-fight losing skid for his first victory since July 2022. Ignacio Bahamondes (17-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has suffered all three of his UFC losses by decision. Curtis Blaydes def. Rizvan Kuniev Curtis Blaydes' (19-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) 14 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for fifth-most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (23), Derrick Lewis (19), Frank Mir (16) and Junior Dos Santos (15). Blaydes' 64 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history. Rizvan Kuniev (13-3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered all three of his career losses by decision. Myktybek Orolbai def. Tofiq Musayev Myktybek Orolbai (14-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned 12 of his 14 career victories by stoppage. Tofiq Musayev (22-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered five of his six career losses by stoppage.. Nazim Sadykhov def. Nikolas Motta Nazim Sadykhov (11-1-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC) has earned 10 of his 11 career victories by stoppage. That includes all four of his UFC win. Nikolas Motta (15-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has suffered all six of his career losses by stoppage. He's been knocked out in all three of his UFC defeats. Muhammad Naimov def. Bogdan Grad Muhammad Naimov (13-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has earned three of his five UFC victories by decision. Bogdan Grad (15-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has suffered two of his three career losses by decision. JunYong Park def. Ismail Naurdiev JunYong Park (19-6 MMA, 9-3 UFC) has earned six of his nine UFC victories by decision. Ismail Naurdiev (24-8 MMA, 3-3 UFC) fell to 1-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2024. Naurdiev has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision. **Naurdiev was the X fighter in UFC history to be deducted two points in a fight for a foul. Daria Zhelezniakova def. Melissa Mullins Daria Zhelezniakova (10-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned both of her UFC victories by decision. Melissa Mullins (7-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of her career losses by decision. Klaudia Sygula def. Irina Alekseeva Irina Alekseeva (5-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered all three of her career losses by decision. Tagir Ulanbekov def. Azat Maksum Tagir Ulanbekov's (18-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied for the second-longest active streak in the division behind Alexandre Pantoja (seven). Ulanbekov has earned four of his six UFC victories by decision. Azat Maksum (17-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 17-0. Maksum has suffered both of his career losses by decision. Mohammed Usman def. Hamdy Abdelwahab Hamdy Abdelwahab (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had his seven-fight unbeaten streak snapped for the first defeat of his career. UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC 317 Full Fight Card Officially Announced With 12 Bouts
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 24: Ilia Topuria of Spain is seen on stage during the UFC ... More 308 press conference at Etihad Arena on October 24, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) With under a week to go until fight night, the UFC has announced the full fight card for the UFC 317 pay-per-view. The card, which takes place on June 28 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, features two title fights at the top of the card. There are 12 fights scheduled for UFC 317. UFC 317 Pay-Per-View Fight Card Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira - For vacant UFC lightweight title Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France - For Pantoja's UFC flyweight title Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van - Flyweight Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano - Lightweight Payton Talbott vs. Felipe Lima - Bantamweight UFC 317 Fight Card (Official Fights For Prelims And Early Prelims) Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues - Middleweight Hyder Amil vs. Jose Miguel Delgado - Featherweight Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez - Strawweight Terrance McKinney vs. Viacheslav Borshchev - Lightweight Sedriques Dumas vs. Jackson McVey - Middleweight Jhonta Diniz vs. Alvin Hines - Heavyweight Niko Price vs. Jacobe Smith (Prelim and Early Prelim bout order has not yet been announced by UFC) As of Saturday, only eight fights were official for UFC 317. The newly announced matchups are: Hyder Amil vs. Jose Miguel Delgado Terrance McKinney vs. Viacheslav Borshchev Sedriques Dumas vs. Jackson McVey Niko Price vs. Jacobe Smith UFC 317 Main Card Updates NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 07: Joshua Van of Myanmar enters the octagon before the flyweight bout ... More against Bruno Silva of Brazil during UFC 316 at the Prudential Center on June 07, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo) The first change to the UFC 317 pay-per-view card came in early June when Manel Kape was forced from his fight opposite Brandon Royval due to injury. The surging Joshua Van quickly agreed to step in to replace Kape. The most recent change came this week, when Costa fell ill and withdrew from his matchup with Kopylov. Reports are that the Costa vs. Kopylov contest will move to UFC 318 in July. Replacing the Costa vs. Kopylov fight is a short-notice matchup between Payton Talbott and Felipe Lima. Another fight that has been scrapped from the UFC 317 card is the heavyweight matchup between Jhonata Diniz vs. Justin Tafa. Tafa pulled out of that fight. Diniz now faces Alvin Hines on the early prelims. UFC 317 Fight Card Main Event: Ilia Topuria Vs. Charles Oliveira ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 26:Ilia Topuria of Spain prepares to face Max Holloway in ... More the UFC featherweight championship fight during the UFC 308 event at Etihad Arena on October 26, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Ilia Topuria (16-0) is a former Cage Warriors champion. He joined the UFC in 2020 with a 9-0 record. It did not take him long to make a name for himself. He was ranked No. 14 in the featherweight division after three UFC bouts at 145 pounds and one contest in the 155-pound division. Three of those scraps ended with Topuria winning via knockout. In his first fight as a ranked featherweight, Topuria dispatched Bryce Mitchell via submission in the second round, earned his first 'Performance of the Night' bonus and moved to No. 9 in the rankings. A matchup with No. 5 ranked Josh Emmett followed the Mitchell win. Topuria picked up a decision in a 'Fight of the Night' scrap. Topuria's next fight, saw him face Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title at UFC 298. Topuria entered that bout as the No. 3 ranked featherweight. He left as the champion after knocking out Volkanovski in the second stanza. In his first defense of the UFC featherweight crown, Topuria made history, becoming the first fighter to finish former 145-pound champion Max Holloway via strikes, knocking out the ex-champion in the third round of their UFC 308 meeting in October 2024. When Topuria decided to move to lightweight and give up his featherweight title, he vowed to sit until he got a 155-pound title shot. That fight takes place at UFC 317. Topuria has a 16-0 record with eight of those wins coming under the UFC banner. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 13: Charles Oliveira of Brazil looks on against Arman Tsarukyan in their ... More lightweight fight at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by) Charles Oliveira (35-10-0-1) has been fighting with the UFC since 2010. He won the vacant lightweight title with his win over Chandler and defended the title once, beating Dustin Poirier. He was booked to face Justin Gaethje in his second title defense, but Oliveira missed weight for that fight, which he won by submission, losing the title on the scale. Oliveira had a chance to regain the belt in October 2022, but Islam Makhachev submitted him and claimed the vacant belt. Since that loss, Oliveira is 1-1, beating Beneil Dariush by TKO in June 2023 and losing to Arman Tsarukyan via split decision in April of this year. Oliveira is coming off a November 2024 decision win over Michael Chandler. Oliveira is the No. 2 fighter in the official UFC lightweight rankings. UFC 317 Fight Card Co-Main Event: Alexandre Pantoja Vs. Kai Kara-France LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 08: Alexandre Pantoja celebrates after defeating UFC flyweight champion ... More Brandon Moreno during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena on July 08, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pantoja won the title by split decision. (Photo by) Alexandre Pantoja (29-5) is on a seven-fight winning streak heading into UFC 317. The 35-year-old Brazilian made his UFC debut in July 2017 with a split-decision win over Eric Shelton. Pantoja's career had its ups and downs over the next three years, where he went 5-3, but he has not lost since he dropped a decision to Askar Askarov in July 2020. Pantoja won the UFC flyweight title in July 2023 on the heels of two 'Performance of the Night' submission wins. Pantoja secured the 125-pound title with a split decision win over Brandon Moreno. Since that victory, Pantoja has defended his three times, beating Brandon Royval in December 2023 and Steve Erceg in May 2024. Both fights ended in decision victories. Pantoja picked up his 19th career finish in his third title defense, submitting Kai Asakura at UFC 310 in December 2024. PERTH, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Kai Kara-France of New Zealand celebrates after winning his Flyweight ... More fight against Steve Erceg of Australia during UFC 305 at RAC Arena on August 18, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by) Kai Kara-France (25-11-0-1) was 17-7-0-1 when he got the call from the UFC in 2019. In his first fight with the promotion, the New Zealander faced a short-notice opponent in Elias Garcia. The two won 'Fight of the Night' honors for their efforts, with Kara-France picking up the decision win. Kara-France followed that victory with two more wins on the judge's scorecards. Then, in December 2019, he faced future champion Brandon Moreno on the early prelims of the UFC 245 pay-per-view card. Moreno won that bout by decision. Kara-France went 1-1 in his next two outings. He then tore off three straight wins between March 2021 and March 2022 and found himself as the No. 2 ranked fighter in the division. In his next outing, he faced Moreno, who was ranked No. 1, in the co-main event of UFC 277. At stake was the interim UFC flyweight title. Moreno won that contest by TKO in the third round. Kara-France followed that setback with a split-decision loss to Amir Albazi in June 2023. Kara-France was booked to face Manel Kape in September 2023, but a concussion during training camp prevented Kara-France from competing on that card, UFC 293. The 32-year-old would not return to action until August 2024, where he earned a first-round TKO win, and a 'Performance of the Night' bonus against Steve Erceg. Kara-France enters UFC 317 as the No. 4 fighter in the official UFC flyweight rankings. We will have more on the UFC 317 fight card as fight night approaches.
USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 8 takeaways: Is Khalil Rountree Jr. a threat to Magomed Ankalaev?
What mattered most at UFC on ABC 8 on Saturday at Crystal Palace Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan? Here are a few post-fight musings … 4. Those dreadful prelims The UFC's introduction to Baku was a rough one. The first six fights on the undercard were not to be remembered, with the closest thing to a finish being Ismail Naurdiev's illegal knee on JunYong Park that somehow didn't get him disqualified. The high points were few and far between, and almost nonexistent. The best fight was probably the flyweight bout in which Tagir Ulanbekov defeated Azat Maksum, and even that left a bit to be desired. It's not a set of prelims that will be spotlighted as the way for UFC to introduce itself to a new market. Unfortunately it wasn't redeemed much by the main card, either, with four of six fights also going to a decision, making for the 11th-longest card in UFC history in total fight time. 3. Myktybek Orolbai's impressive start Myktybek Orolbai name might be hard to spell and pronounce, but it is one to remember going forward in the lightweight division after he spoiled the octagon debut of 2019 RIZIN Grand Prix champion Tofiq Musayev courtesy of a nasty choke. Although he's just four fights into his promotional tenure, Orolbai (14-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is building credibility as a much-watch name at 155 pounds. His fights are either wars or finishes, and that's exactly the mold as the most lovable names in divisional history. He might present an older physical image, but Orolbai is still just 27 and evolving training out of a great gym at American Top Team. For now, it feels like he is one who could be a great action fighter for years to come, and perhaps eventually more. 2. Rafael Fiziev bounces back Rafael Fiziev sent a reminder that he is still a viable top-level lightweight when he outworked surging contender Ignacio Bahamondes for a unanimous decision. After losing three consecutive fights against Justin Gaethje (twice) and Mateusz Gamrot, the situation on paper seemed dire for Fiziev (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) coming in. If he had lost to Bahamondes, it would've felt like a definitive ceiling for him. Instead, he came through as an underdog and put himself back into a prominent position. Although he downplayed it, the pressure on Fiziev between the losing skid and fighting in his native Azerbaijan was immense. Instead of folding to it, he came through with a performance that said a lot about his fighting character. 1. Khalil Rountree Jr. is a valid contender After a title shot against then-champion Alex Pereira in October that was largely the product of circumstance, many questioned whether Khalil Rountree Jr. truly belongs at the top of the light heavyweight division or if his valiant performance in defeat against "Poatan" was a one-off. Rountree (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) silenced those with a negative perspective when he broke down and defeated former champion Jamahal Hill by unanimous decision for what not becomes the biggest victory of his career. If someone, as Hill did, chooses to largely stand in front of Rountree for the majority of a fight, then they are likely to get battered with his dangerous array of strikes. The upper tier of the 205-pound division has plenty of names who fancy themselves strikers, so this a good spot for Rountree to be. The biggest question, however, is whether he can find the consistency to get back to the top. The fights aren't going to get much easier from here, and if Magomed Ankalaev continues to hold the belt, that is not a very style-friendly matchup for him. Rountree is in a promising spot and after a long career in the octagon seems to be experiencing his high point. Whether it comes together in the form of a title shot or title win remain to be seen, but after so many years of being up and down, he's already done more than most expected of him.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jon Jones' UFC retirement leaves a complicated legacy — and the final chapter will always be a part of it
'Jon Jones called us last night and retired.' That's how it ended, according to UFC CEO Dana White. The man who would be GOAT called it a career via late-night phone call some seven months after his first UFC heavyweight title defense. So he claims, anyway. Advertisement In between the last trip into the cage and the final phone call there was a lot of time-wasting and truth-bending, with the result being … this. A laughably anticlimactic end to a great though troubled career. (Immediately after which, we'd discover he has yet another case pending back home in Albuquerque. But more on that later.) All of it makes you wonder, if we were going to just do this in the end, couldn't we have done it half a year ago? It also raises the question: How much will this messy, frustrating final chapter shape Jones' overall legacy as an MMA and UFC great? Jones was never going to fight interim champ Tom Aspinall. That ought to be clear by now. In all his many public statements, by which I mostly mean tweet responses to internet randos who called him out for ducking the fight, the one thing Jones never said was that he had definite plans to beat up big Tom at some point in the future. Sometimes he said maybe. Plenty of times he came right out and said no. He claimed that Aspinall just didn't excite him enough, and said it was pointless because if he beat him then there'd just be another guy after that. Advertisement (A couple things about that claim: 1. That is basically what it means to be champion. Challengers keep stepping up and you are expected to fight them. That's how it works. That's how it has always worked. 2. Look around at the UFC's heavyweight division right now. Does it seem like the big problem is the abundance of interesting contenders? This was the big one, man. The only heavyweight money fight out there.) Refusing to accept what is essentially the most interesting challenge Jones has faced in at least five years, it's not a great look. Making us all wait until we're sick of even talking about it before finally admitting that he wasn't up for it is plain dumb. It's what you would do if you were a pro-wrestling heel trying to turn the audience against you. And while Jones seems to enjoy a good troll job, it's hard for me to believe that his master plan all along was to make himself hated by fans on his way out the door of this sport. Advertisement Jones cares about legacy. He cares a lot, even if he doesn't always want to admit it. It's why he insisted on fighting Stipe Miocic in his first and only heavyweight title defense. He wanted to add Miocic's name to his résumé so he could say he beat the best in two weight classes. He was just hoping we wouldn't notice that the version of Miocic he beat was on the wrong side of 40 and mostly retired already. That's the other thing about how Jones views legacy, though. He's always seemed to think that it was up to him to decide what we thought of him. Because that's all legacy is, at the end of the day. It's what the majority of the people tell each other about who you were and what you did. Jones has, from the very beginning of his career, looked at it as a public relations challenge he could shape at his whim. It's why he tried to portray himself as the polite, humble choir boy at first. That didn't hold up long. He crashed too many cars and showed up on too many police bodycams for that image to endure even the slightest scrutiny. Later he rebranded as the reformed bad boy who had grown through suffering, becoming a better person after all the trials and tribulations (that he put himself through). The fact that his retirement announcement was immediately overshadowed by news of yet another charge for vehicular misbehavior, this one involving an intoxicated woman found "lacking clothing from the waist down" in a crashed car that she said Jones was driving before he ran off and left her there? Well, it doesn't exactly scream: Here's a guy who's learned his lesson. Jon Jones with his longtime fiancée Jessie Moses after his victory over Stipe Miocic. (KENA BETANCUR via Getty Images) Jones wants to tell us who he is and how we should view his time in this sport. But that decision isn't up to him. Fans can be forgiving with the benefit of time, but they also have long memories for things like disappointment and anger. Jones has disappointed them plenty, both in and out of the cage. He's also thrilled them at times, showing them what it would look like if one fighter were miles ahead of the pack. Advertisement The single most consistent part of Jones' story was that he always remained the greatest threat to his own ambitions and the only limit on his own ability. No one could stop him in the cage. Outside of it, he couldn't stop himself from lighting it all on fire, then begging for mercy and swearing to be better from now on, then doing it again. He was our spoiled genius, a petulant boy king who kept threatening to finally grow up but never really did. He also might have been the greatest fighter this sport has ever known, but he couldn't ever stay focused on that goal long enough to keep showing up in ways that would have removed all doubt. That, along with everything else, will be one of the things we'll have to say when we look back on Jones' career. He could have done more. He probably should have done more. He lost or squandered years of his prime, then rode off into the Thai sunset on the back of a moped when faced with the (literally) biggest challenge available. That page, too, gets stapled onto his permanent record whether he likes it or not. He was our spoiled genius, a petulant boy king who kept threatening to finally grow up but never really did. Is this really the last we see of Jones in the UFC? I kind of doubt it. I think once he sees how quickly the sport and the heavyweight division moves on without him — and once he sees what life is like as a former UFC champ — he'll want back in. I'd be surprised if, by this time next year, he's still as retired as he claims. Advertisement But if it is the end, his legacy won't be a simple one. And it won't be one that he alone gets to dictate. Jones' story is about greatness, but it's also about the price of it. Here was a man who was so good and gifted at this one specific thing that he almost couldn't help but take it for granted. He treated his peerless career like it was a toy he could dangle out the window of a moving car, just for the thrill of seeing how close he could come to losing it entirely. We watched in awe of the fighter, then shook our heads in weary dismay at the man. We end (or so we're told) by repeating that pattern. There goes Jon Jones, maybe the greatest of all time. But also maybe not. We're sad to see him go with business left unfinished. But also maybe we're not.
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
UFC legend Jon Jones hit with shocking criminal charge just hours after announcing retirement
Jon Jones, a legendary American MMA fighter, is facing legal issues - just one day after stunning the sport by confirming his retirement from the UFC. During an explosive press conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, UFC chief Dana White announced that Jones, arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all time, had retired from the sport. Jones later confirmed the news himself in a statement. Less than 24 hours later, it has emerged that the 37-year-old is facing a misdemeanor charge of fleeing the scene of an accident. A criminal summons accusing Jones of the charge was filed in Albuquerque Metropolitan Court Tuesday. Jones has been called to appear in court on July 24 for a bond arraignment. has contacted Jones' management and attorney for comment. A police officer was said to be investigating a road accident on February 21 when they discovered a woman in the passenger seat of one of the vehicles, according to the Albuquerque Journal. The woman was reportedly 'exhibiting signs of significant intoxication and lacking clothing from the waist down.' She claimed that Jones had been the driver of the car but had fled the scene on foot. The woman then reportedly called Jones. A police service aide is said to have spoken to the man on the other end of the line, who she believed to be Jones. The man 'appeared to be heavily intoxicated and made statements implying his capacity to employ lethal force through third parties' to the PSA. In response to the perceived threat, the PSA is said to have called for backup. A police officer then spoke to the man on the phone and said similar 'allusions to violence' were made. The man reportedly never answered direct questioned about whether he was Jones. Jones was later interviewed in person, during which he allegedly claimed that the woman had left his home intoxicated earlier in the day. He said that she had called him after getting into the crash, and he claimed the person she handed the phone to 'immediately opened the conversations with unprofessional language, which led him to doubt the legitimacy of the individual's claim.' Meanwhile, the woman told police that she had drank alcohol and consumed mushrooms at Jones' house and recalled needing to change her clothes there. However, her memory was hazy as she claimed that 'her next recollection was being at the scene of a traffic accident' and that the last person she remembered driving the car was Jones. Jones, arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all time, is pictured greeting Donald Trump Jones is said to have called the woman's phone a total of 13 times from around the time of the accident to the following morning. It is unclear why the charge was filed four months after the February incident. There is also no indication that the charge is related to Jones's decision to retire this week. UFC CEO White revealed Jones called on Friday night to inform him and UFC officials that he would not be fighting again. Jones was the promotion's undisputed heavyweight champion but his title has now been passed to Tom Aspinall. Jones then posted a lengthy statement on social media, which read: 'Today, I'm officially announcing my retirement from the UFC. This decision comes after a lot of reflection, and I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the journey I've experienced over the years. 'From the first time I stepped into the Octagon, my goal was to push the boundaries of what was possible in this sport. Becoming the youngest UFC champion in history, defending my title against some of the best fighters in the world, and sharing unforgettable moments with fans across the globe—these are memories I'll cherish forever. 'I've faced incredible highs and some tough lows, but every challenge has taught me something valuable and made me stronger, both as a fighter and as a person. 'I want to thank the UFC, Dana, Hunter, Lorenzo, God, my family, coaches, teammates, and all the fans who have stood by me through every chapter. Your unwavering support and belief in me have been my foundation. To my fellow fighters, thank you for bringing out the best in me and for the respect we've shared inside and outside the cage. 'As I close this chapter of my life, I look forward to new opportunities and challenges ahead. MMA will always be a part of who I am, and I'm excited to see how I can continue to contribute to the sport and inspire others in new ways. Thank you all for being part of this incredible journey with me. The best is yet to come.' Jones admitted earlier this week that he had no interest in fighting as he continued to stall on a bout with Aspinall. Jones, who ends his career with a 28-1 career record, won the vacant heavyweight title in March 2023. But the 37-year-old has not fought since defending it in November against Stipe Miocic . Aspinall has held the interim belt for 18 months but a unification fight between the two is yet to materialize. The delay led a number of fighters to call for Jones to be stripped of his title.
