In the UFC, fighters have risen and fallen, champions have come and gone, but one thing has remained constant for over a decade — Jon Jones at the top. From his dominance at light heavyweight to his seamless transition to heavyweight, Jon Jones has been untouchable since his debut in 2008.
What is Jones’ USP? With his unbelievable reach, insane fight IQ, and ability to dismantle elite fighters with ease, Jones has defied time and even logic inside the octagon.
Jones was a college-level wrestler who worked on his striking and other skills to enter the octagon. He then went on to fight and defeat wrestling Olympians like Daniel Cormier at their own game. He’s also fought countless strikers like Quinton Jackson, Lyoto Machida, and Alexander Gustaffson, and defeated them all.
Jones is, arguably, the most complete mixed martial artist we have seen over a couple of generations of UFC fighters. So, what makes him special?
According to UFC veteran Din Thomas, it isn’t just his skill. He “has broken physical and universal laws in MMA.”
Speaking to Mike Bohn, Thomas explained how Jones had defied and redefined the notions in the sport throughout his career. “In all these things I talk about not liking to be champion, the pressure [of] giving it up, all of that. Jon Jones debunks all the myths of that,” he said.
“I mean I don’t know how he has done it, I don’t know how he has managed to stick around at the top, failed drug tests, come back still beat the next best guy, give up the belt, come back beat the best guy. I don’t know how he does it man,” he added.
Thomas claimed that Jones didn’t just think outside the box, he lived there. “He is not like any other human fighter there is.”
There is no doubting Jones’ credentials as a fighter. However, his greatness has been called into question by followers of the sport, who have only seen him compete twice in the last four years or so. Since vacating the light heavyweight title and deciding to move to heavyweight, Jones has hardly been active.
In the three years he took to prepare for the move up the division, Francis Ngannou reigned supreme in the heavyweight division. One of the most dominant heavyweights of the generation, Francis moved out of the UFC without ever testing Jones, who returned weeks after Ngannou’s departure in 2023. He then claimed the heavyweight title beating interim champion Ciryl Gane.
Weeks later, Jones went on a year’s break to recover from an injury. It was during this time that Tom Aspinall won the interim heavyweight title. Jones should have returned to fight Aspinall and unite the belt, but it has been a few months of PPVs between then and now, and the heavyweight champion continues to evade.
Thankfully, UFC bossman Dana White is no longer entertaining this.
Jones vs. Aspinall is on the way
White wants fans to calm down about Jones vs. Aspinall — yes, it’s happening, just not right this second.
It’s been three months since Jones beat Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 and over six months since Aspinall last fought. Naturally, people are getting impatient. And since Jones keeps talking about fighting light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and nothing else, they cannot be blamed for not having faith.
However, White had previously guaranteed the fight between Jones and Aspinall would happen. He recently reiterated it.
“We’re not getting Jon vs. Tom ever?” White read from a comment before responding, “Yes, you will. It’s coming. Relax.”
Dana White said Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is coming pic.twitter.com/hGPx5gBwb6
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) February 21, 2025
The reality? The UFC doesn’t announce big fights until they’re ready. Jones vs. Miocic was an open secret for months before it was finally made official. The same thing could be happening here.
As of now, no contracts have been signed. Then again, there’s no sign that the fight is in trouble either. It’s just about timing — and when the UFC is ready to roll it out, we’ll all know.
