The mystery behind former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones’s retirement might’ve been solved by an MMA pioneer.
Jon Jones shocked the MMA world last weekend when he announced the end of his legendary fighting career. Instead of agreeing to a heavyweight title unification bout with interim champ Tom Aspinall, Jones opted to hang up the gloves and bring his controversial heavyweight title reign to an abrupt end.
As the UFC’s heavyweight division moves forward, Jones will likely continue to cast a shadow over the roster for months to come. His retirement announcement capped off seven-plus months of speculation and contract talks with the UFC brass for a showdown with Aspinall.
Jones previously hinted at a sense of contentment as the big reason behind his retirement announcement. But one UFC analyst believes there’s much more to the story.
Kenny Florian: Jon Jones’s lack of ‘discipline’ sparked UFC retirement
During a recent episode of The Anik & Florian Podcast, Kenny Florian presented a unique theory on why Jones decided to hang up the gloves.
“I think that Jon Jones is always kind of struggled with the discipline aspect of the sport, and how he approaches it,” Florian said of Jones. “Talent? It’s unquestioned, he’s been blessed with an insane amount of talent, and that’s often got him through some very difficult times through camps I’m sure, and through fights themselves. We’ve seen that.
“But because you’re blessed with so much talent, sometimes discipline and putting in that hard work can be a difficult aspect to it…it’s paradoxical in a lot of ways, and I think for Jon Jones, having that time away from the sport, I’m wondering if he questioned that hunger and the willingness to train.
“He had said that he wasn’t training for a very long time! That was the sign when I was scratching my head and asked ‘Is this fight going to happen?'” Florian continued. “And he probably felt he’s not going to train anytime soon, and if I’m fighting someone like Tom Aspinall, you need that hunger and that time in the gym.”
It didn’t take long for Jones to take notice of Florian’s comments, and appeared to hint that the former UFC standout was right on the money with his theory.
“What an interesting observation gentleman,” Jones responded in a recent Instagram comment.
Jones’s comment pivoted from a concerning social media tirade on his X account, in which the UFC legend appeared to ramble about his recent legal issues. One fan went as far as to accuse Jones of ‘tweaking out’ during his bizarre online rants.
Before announcing his retirement last weekend, Jones hadn’t fought since finishing Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November. After winning the then-vacant heavyweight belt at UFC 285, Jones’s heavyweight reign was marred by injuries and other matters that contributed to fighting return delays.
Tom Aspinall’s UFC return opponent potentially set after ‘confident’ negotiations
As Jones walks into the sunset, Aspinall will look to bring stability and a high-activity level to the UFC heavyweight division. Aspinall is expected to return later this year against a to-be-announced opponent, and one of the top contenders believes he’s the most likely option for newly-crowned undisputed champ’s first title defense.
Former interim heavyweight titleholder Ciryl Gane recently hinted at ongoing talks with the UFC brass to fight Aspinall later this year. Gane defeated Alexander Volkov in a controversial result at UFC 311 in January.
The latest UFC rankings showed Jones completedly removed from the roster and Aspinall’s ascent to undisputed champion status. After a wild saga that lasted almost two full years, Aspinall will get his chance to prove himself as the undisputed heavyweight king.