Jon Jones couldn’t believe what he witnessed at the inaugural ‘Dirty Boxing’ show.
The private event, which looked like a scene straight out of Brad Pitt’s Fight Club, was hosted by none other than Mike Perry in Miami, Florida on Saturday night.
Former UFC middleweight title challenger Yoel Romero was announced as the headliner just 24 hours before he squared off against Power Slap star Duane Crespo in a heavyweight contest.
Jon Jones, the king of UFC heavyweights, sat ringside to watch ‘The Soldier of God’ run through Crespo and score a sensational first-round knockout victory.
Jon Jones left gobsmacked by Yoel Romero KO
Viral footage shows Yoel Romero charging at his opponent and connecting cleanly with a straight left hand to end the fight.
After dropping Crespo, the 47-year-old UFC veteran stood over him as Muhammad Ali did during his famous first-round KO win over Sonny Liston in 1965.
The referee intervened, Romero was pushed away, and the fight was waved off.
Crespo remained on the floor for a considerable amount of time. Romero dropped to his knees and began praying before walking over to check on his stricken foe.
Alternative footage from the crowd shows Jon Jones standing with his mouth wide open and both of his hands on his head in the immediate aftermath of Romero’s sensational win.
‘Bones’ didn’t move for 10 seconds, and when he did, he placed his hands over his face as his state of shock appeared to worsen before the video cut off.
What’s next for Jon Jones?
Jon Jones is currently enjoying some downtime after defending his heavyweight belt for the first time by knocking out Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 last weekend.
The 37-year-old knows he’s approaching the end of his legendary career, so he only wants to take big money fights with opponents at a similar stage of their combat sports journey.
Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is his preferred next fight, but most fans want to see him unify the heavyweight division against interim champion Tom Aspinall.
So does Dana White, who ruled out making Jones vs Pereira after UFC 309.
Even though Jones clearly doesn’t want the fight, Aspinall has confirmed that negotiations are ongoing behind the scenes and looking promising ahead of a potential 2025 clash.
“Yeah, we’re in negotiations right now. That’s the honest answer,” Tom Aspinall said on his YouTube channel.
“So, we don’t know when the fight is going to be, but I’ll be ready to go whenever. I’m back in the gym now. I’m back in the gym training, as always.”
“I’ll be ready to fight when they let me know. Until then, I’ll be improving, I’ll be getting better.
“So, no great rush on that. Obviously, I want to fight as soon as possible. But, right now, we’re just waiting on a date. That’s it.”