Jon Jones took a break from discussions about the potential Tom Aspinall fight to address his previous comments regarding the UFC`s pound-for-pound king.
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and interim titleholder Tom Aspinall are still in a state of uncertainty, as the promotion continues to provide vague answers about their negotiation status. A potential fight between Jones and Aspinall might happen as early as September, given that the UFC`s summer schedule is already mostly filled with major bouts.
Jones recently angered UFC fans when he declared `I’m done` in a leaked conversation with another fighter via FaceTime. Jones has since changed that position, and UFC CEO Dana White remains committed to making the showdown with Aspinall a reality.
In the meantime, Jones will coach opposite former UFC superstar Nate Diaz on a Russian spinoff of The Ultimate Fighter. During the filming of the show, Jones raised eyebrows by labeling UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev as `still young to the sport,` which irritated many loyal fans of the pound-for-pound number one fighter.
Jon Jones Addresses Criticism Over His Islam Makhachev Assessment
During the show`s taping, Diaz and Jones were discussing the UFC’s top pound-for-pound fighter when Diaz began to downplay the Dagestani`s accomplishments in the Octagon. Jones responded by calling Makhachev an up-and-coming fighter, a remark that seemed surprising for the UFC`s top-ranked athlete.
Many of Makhachev’s fans criticized Jones’s comment on social media, even more so than Diaz’s, likely because Diaz has a long, contentious history with Dagestani fighters. Jones soon addressed the controversy.
In a recent interview with *Red Corner MMA*, Jones responded to the fan backlash regarding his comments about Makhachev.
“I feel like the comment I made, made a lot of people upset, a lot of Islam’s fans upset,” Jones said. “But really what I was trying to do, was I was trying to translate for Nate to the Russians. Nate speaks in a very laid back way, he speaks with a lot of slang. If you’re not American, it may be hard to understand what he was saying.”
“So I was just trying to translate for Diaz. But at the same time, me saying that Islam is an up-and-coming fighter, when it’s coming from me, I can say that.”
“Not many people can say that, I can.”
In recent years, Jones has frequently questioned the standing of both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev in the pound-for-pound debate. Jones believes Nurmagomedov’s decision to retire from fighting after UFC 254 affects his claim in the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) conversation.
Makhachev has the opportunity to enhance his legacy when he potentially competes for a second UFC title later this year against UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena. Della Maddalena defeated Makhachev’s teammate, Belal Muhammad, at UFC 315 earlier this month.
Jon Jones Addresses Retirement Concerns Amid Uncertainty Over Tom Aspinall Fight
After Jones reversed his stance on retiring from MMA, he and his team will refocus on negotiating with the UFC brass for a return fight. Jones won the UFC heavyweight championship by finishing Stipe Miocic in November at UFC 309.
Aspinall defended the interim heavyweight title by finishing Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 last year. He was cageside at UFC 309, but Jones did not call him out by name in the Octagon after his victory over Miocic.
As the situation surrounding Jones vs. Aspinall continues, fans are becoming increasingly impatient with all parties involved. There is hope that fight fans will eventually get to see the highly anticipated heavyweight clash.
