Former foe of Jon Jones, Rashad Evans has defended his past rival this week following his retirement, claiming there should be no discussion that the UFC star is the greatest ever.
Jones, who confirmed his retirement from combat sports over the weekend, lost his portion of the heavyweight crown in the process. And as such, interim champion Tom Aspinall was promoted to the status of undisputed champion — missing out on a title unification clash with the Rochester native.
“Today, I’m officially announcing my retirement from the UFC,” Jones’ statement on X read. “This decision comes after a lot of reflection, and I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the journey I’ve experienced over the years. From the first time I stepped into the Octagon, my goal was to push the boundaries of what was possible in this sport.”
But with his sudden retirement and drawing out of the heavyweight division, Jones has come under fire. Also accused of “ducking” Aspinall continually in the last 18 months, Jones’ status and legacy in the sport have been seemingly tarnished.
But as far as former light heavyweight title foe, Evans is concerned, however, Jones’s status as the greatest fighter of all-time cannot be touched in this discourse. To boot, according to Evans, haters of Jones are just that. And he has used this chance to play down his stunning resume.
“This new generation of MMA fans didn’t get a chance to really enjoy Jon in his prime,” Evans told MMA on Sirius XM.
“And get to see how magnificent he was inside the cage. He was — he did some amazing things in there. Unfortunately for Jon, it’s a game of ‘What have you done for me lately?'” he argued.
“He’s the greatest. He’s the greatest one to ever do it…You have to be kind of hater to say he isn’t.”@SugaRashadEvans on the legacy of Jon Jones after Jones announced his retirement
Source: MMA Today w/@RJcliffordMMA pic.twitter.com/kXtQwDkamJ
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) June 23, 2025
“…I think once there’s some perspective on his career,” Evans continued. “I think he’ll be held up as good and his accomplishments will stand the test of time. …He’s the greatest. He’s the greatest one to ever do it. For me, you have to be kind of a hater to say he isn’t.”
But following a recent admission from UFC boss Dana White, apparent haters have come in force to question the former champion’s legacy again.
White reveals Jones’ backed out of return
Failing to ever grant Aspinall the chance to fight for the unified crown later this year, Jones apparently did U-Turn on a previously agreed arrangement with the UFC.
According to White, Jones had initially agreed to fight the British star before ultimately backing out.
“We were talking about it before that, but yeah, the fight was done. We had the fight done a long time ago. So why he decided not to fight, you guys will have to ask him that,” White told The Mac Life.
And as far as White is concerned, money and potential compensation to fight Aspinall surely wasn’t the reason for this decision to skirt the pairing.
“Listen, he was offered what he deserves for that fight, yeah,” White clarified.
