Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya isn’t buying what Jon Jones is selling.
Jon Jones concluded months of speculation over a potential Tom Aspinall showdown by announcing his retirement last weekend. Aspinall was immediately promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion and will defend it against another top contender, potentially either Ciryl Gane or Alexander Volkov, later this year.
Jones’s retirement continues to send shockwaves around the sport with many criticizing the UFC legend for moving on from the Aspinall fight. UFC CEO Dana White remains perplexed by Jones’s decision after months of promising fight fans that Jones vs. Aspinall was forthcoming.
Despite Jones’s retirement, Israel Adesanya doesn’t believe it’ll last long.
Israel Adesanya dismisses Jon Jones’s retirement as he predicts legend’s future comeback
Jones and Adesanya shared an up-and-down relationship during their UFC tenures, amid superfight talks between the two sides. But the two UFC legends squashed their years-long beef as they crossed paths during UFC 290 fight week in July 2023.
While Adesanya’s past beef with Jones is on the shelf, he believes the now-former UFC heavyweight champion’s recent social media tirades and retirement are all part of a bigger plan.
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Adesanya explained why he believes Jones’s UFC retirement will be short-lived.
“I think he’ll come back. It’s the drama of it. Someone was telling me about the tweets. I had a look and I was like, ‘He’s coming back,'” Adesanya said of Jones. “What do the kids call it, rage-baiting? It’s working.
“And again, I don’t agree with the fact of holding up the division. Tom defended the belt, that’s a defense on his book. Let the division keep moving. There’s too much money.
“They offered him $20, $30 million? Yeah, I think he’ll come back. It’ll be even bigger by the time he comes back because Tom will have had two or three fights and built up his own legacy as well.” (h/t talkSPORT)
Jones raised eyebrows when he accused White and the matchmakers of lying in regards to White’s claim that Jones accepted the Aspinall fight before his retirement announcement. Jones’s claim lines up with his recent dismissal in a brief interview with Bloody Elbow when pressed about White’s comments.
As for Adesanya’s stance on Jones’s retirement, he might not be far off the beaten path after Jones teased a comeback just days after hanging up the gloves.
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Jon Jones claims he’s ‘not really retired’ as he opens the door to potential comeback
When one social media follower said ‘Jon Jones will be back’, the former UFC heavyweight champion seemed open to that possibility. If Jones concludes his retirement in the coming months, he’d likely get an immediate title shot, especially if his former rival Gane wins the belt.
Aspinall earned the UFC’s interim heavyweight title by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. He defended the belt by finishing Curtis Blaydes in the first round of their UFC 304 rematch last July.
Adesanya is expected to return to the Octagon later this year, potentially in a rematch against Sean Strickland. As 2026 approaches, Jones could potentially change his mind on hanging up the gloves for good.