JON JONES CALL'S TOM ASPINALL'S WRESTLING AND JIU-JITSU 'INCREDIBLY OVERRATED' AFTER UFC 321

Former UFC champion Jon Jones gives a blunt breakdown of Tom Aspinall’s performance against Ciryl Gane, questioning key parts of the heavyweight’s skill set.

Jon Jones - Image credit @UFC X.com @noscripts.podcast Instagram

Jon Jones had a few sharp observations after watching the UFC 321 main event in Abu Dhabi, where Tom Aspinall defended his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane.

The bout ended early after Gane’s accidental eye poke forced officials to stop the fight, leaving fans without a clear result. Even so, Jones said he saw enough to form a harsh opinion on the reigning champion’s overall skill set.

Jones Gives His Take

During an episode of the No Scripts podcast, the former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion broke down what he noticed in the short exchange between the two contenders.

“Tom’s a great athlete, but I do feel like he’s a one-trick pony,” Jones said. “I believe that his wrestling and jiu-jitsu is incredibly overrated. He has a beautiful one-two… that’s really about it.”

Jones added that Gane appeared to be finding his rhythm before the fight ended.

“He couldn’t touch Ciryl Gane at all,” Jones continued. “That’s the way I felt. I feel like Gane was just getting warmed up.”

Jon Jones reacts to Tom Aspinall’s performance against Ciryl Gane 👀

“I believe [Tom’s] wrestling and jiu jitsu is incredibly overrated. I got to learn a lot about his patterns in his last fight. Beautiful 1-2, but that’s really about it. He couldn’t touch Ciryl Gane.”

(via… pic.twitter.com/E4tB2OcgBA

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 6, 2025

The two heavyweights have had friction before. Aspinall once accused Jones of avoiding him before the former champion vacated the belt and stepped away from competition. Jones’ latest comments only add to the ongoing tension between the pair.

After the no-contest, Dana White said a rematch between Aspinall and Gane is likely next. Some viewers thought Gane looked sharp before the stoppage, giving the rematch added intrigue.

Aspinall will now aim to deliver a complete performance that could quiet his critics — including Jones — and show that his grappling game deserves more credit.

- Jake Blend

KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV SENDS MESSAGE TO JON JONES FOLLOWING UFC RETIREMENT

Khabib Nurmagomedov has reacted to Jon Jones’ retirement with a message for the future UFC Hall of Famer.

During the UFC Baku post-fight press conference, Dana White announced that Jon Jones has retired from pro MMA competition. While many were hoping that “Bones” would face Tom Aspinall in a heavyweight title unification bout, it wasn’t meant to be. Aspinall is now the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.

As for Jones, he walks away from MMA as an all-time great. Nurmagomedov, who is another legend of the fight game, had some kind words for “Bones.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov Praises Jon Jones Following Retirement

In a new post on his Facebook page, Khabib Nurmagomedov gave Jon Jones his flowers for a career that might never be replicated.

“My congratulations legend,” Nurmagomedov wrote. “Even we was not friends but you are the best who ever do it in UFC history and you inspire millions of people around the world you have nothing more to prove in this sport.”

Jones ends his pro MMA career with a record of 28-1, 1 NC. The lone loss was a controversial disqualification against Matt Hamill back in 2009. Infamous referee Steve Mazzagatti disqualified “Bones” for using 12-6 elbows, which were illegal at the time. Still, many felt Jones should’ve been awarded the TKO finish before even throwing those elbows.

Bones” is reportedly facing legal trouble once again, but he recently hinted on social media that the facts haven’t been reported accurately. Jones allegedly left the scene of a traffic accident back in February and is facing a criminal misdemeanor charge. Some have even questioned if this is what led to “Bones” deciding to retire, but Jones’ legal team told Ariel Helwani that their client wasn’t driving. The legal team also claimed an intoxicated woman used a false accusation against Jones to avoid an arrest for DWI.

- Fernando Quiles Jr.

TOM ASPINALL INSTALLED AS UFC CHAMPION AFTER JON JONES CONFIRMS RETIREMENT

Britain’s Tom Aspinall has been upgraded to UFC undisputed heavyweight champion following the official retirement of Jon Jones.

UFC president Dana White ended months of uncertainty in the heavyweight division by delivering the news after Saturday’s Fight Night in Azerbaijan.

Aspinall spent 19 months as interim champion and is only the third Briton to become a UFC champion.

American Jones – considered one of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time – had not competed since defeating Stipe Miocic in November.

“Jon Jones called us last night and retired,” White said.

“Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC.

“Do I regret the time that I gave (Jones to decide)? Listen, if you look at what he’s accomplished in the sport, no.”

Aspinall had unsuccessfully campaigned to fight 37-year-old Jones.

Reacting to the news, the 32-year-old, who last fought in July, posted on Instagram: “For you fans, it’s time to get this heavyweight division going. An active undisputed champion.”

Aspinall is expected to defend his title this summer or in early autumn, with number-one contender Ciryl Gane a likely opponent.

“I obviously feel bad for Tom that he lost all that time and obviously money, but we’ll make it up to him,” said White.

“Tom Aspinall’s a good guy. He’s been incredible through this whole process.

“He’s been willing to do anything, fight him (Jones) anywhere at any time and do this, and now he’s like ‘I’ll fight anybody – you tell me who and I’ll fight them’.”

- PA

FRANCIS NGANNOU MAKES UFC RETURN SINCE RELEASE AMID POTENTIAL U-TURN ON COMEBACK

Francis Ngannou made a first appearance at a UFC event since leaving the promotion - to support friend Kamaru Usman.

Ngannou left the UFC in 2023 and was stripped of his heavyweight title, as he failed to agree a new deal with Dana White's promotion.

Ngannou returned to the UFC stage to support friend Kamaru UsmanCredit: Getty

The Cameroon star didn't leave on entirely good terms and has barely batted an eye at the UFC since signing with rivals PFL.

But his coach Eric Nicksick recently hinted that he would be open to a comeback to the roster, despite previously suggesting he would never return.

Jon Jones issued a call-out to Ngannou and hinted that the fight could get made, but Dana White didn't budge on a new signature of his former champion.

Although now relations appear to have improved again, with Ngannou attending the UFC Atlanta weigh-ins.

It was the 38-year-old's first arrival at any UFC event since 2023.

He even came up on stage as friend and former UFC champion Usman took to the scales to weigh in for his huge showdown with Joaquin Buckley.

Ngannou received a rousing reception from fans, as his status as a hugely popular fighter has clearly been retained.

And it sent the MMA fraternity into a frenzy, with many demanding he faces either Jones or Tom Aspinall.

But his coach Nicksick believes right now he would likely struggle to exit his deal with the PFL.

On his debut at his new home, Ngannou became the heavyweight champion beating Renan Ferreira last year.

Ngannou received a warm welcome up on stageCredit: Getty

But he has yet to fight since, and has even teased a return to boxing after two outings against Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

A more likely option than a UFC comeback could be a two-fight deal with Deontay Wilder.

And the 'Bronze Bomber' insists talks are still ongoing.

‘Yeah, I'd love to fight Ngannou. It’s a lot of things going on," he said.

"I think that fight is still stirring up. We’re still talking about it. Certain things have been laid out.

We do one fight boxing and one fight MMA, fair is fair. We’re just trying to figure out how we want the segment to go with me and Ngannou. I’m definitely interested; he is as well.

Ngannou last fought in the UFC in his win over Cyril Gane in 2022Credit: Getty

"I guess it’s just a matter of time, time is always the matter, and then when you execute that you always get a place and a date, and then you can start the promotion.

"I think that’s something that’s looking to be created, something that is looking to be done.

"People are going to look forward to that, I’m going to look forward to that. Stay tuned."

- Ben Davies

JONES MAKES UFC HISTORY

 

UFC 309: JON JONES VS. STIPE MIOCIC PRESS CONFERENCE

 

JON JONES TRIUMPHS IN RETURN, TKO'S STIPE MIOCIC AT UFC 309

Jon Jones celebrates after his total knockout victory against Stipe Miocic in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden, New York City, US, November 16, 2024 [Sarah Stier/Getty Images via AFP]
 https://aje.io/l1qo7q

NEW YORK -- Jon Jones looked exceptional as ever Saturday, knocking out Stipe Miocic with a spinning back kick in the third round of their heavyweight championship fight at UFC 309 inside Madison Square Garden.

And now, with that matter settled, the fight world will eagerly await its heavyweight title unification bout.

Jones (28-1) dominated Miocic (20-5) en route to the TKO victory at 4:29 of the round. The matchup was originally scheduled to take place in November 2023, but Jones pulled out with a torn pectoral muscle. Leading up to Saturday, much of the prefight talk was about whether Jones would face interim champion Tom Aspinall if he won.

After defeating Miocic, Jones made it clear he is open to the challenge.

"I've decided maybe I will not retire," Jones said, adding that he'll have conversations with UFC CEO Dana White and chief business officer Hunter Campbell. "We'll negotiate. If everything goes right, maybe we'll give you guys what you want to see."

Miocic, 42, who elected to wait an entire year for Jones' return, announced his retirement in the Octagon following the loss. The former two-time champion hadn't fought since 2021 before facing Jones on Saturday.

Even taking Miocic's layoff into account, Saturday was more about how good Jones looked rather than how rusty Miocic might have been. A near-consensus pick for greatest fighter of all time, Jones showcased all his tools in his first knockout win since December 2018. He took Miocic down in the opening round and tormented him with nasty elbows from top position. He hurt him with front kicks to the body in the second and third rounds and nearly dropped him with a jab.

The final shot was a spinning back kick to Miocic's midsection that sent him to his knees. It was a brutal climax to a one-sided fight. According to UFC Stats, Miocic landed 42 strikes -- none of which was particularly memorable -- to 104 by Jones. Jones' defense was superb all night, and he made Miocic pay with counterpunches and knees in the clinch.

"He's really, really good," Jones said of Miocic. "He's tough, durable. I hit him with some decent shots, and he kept coming forward. Everyone knows Stipe isn't the biggest heavyweight. He comes lean, in great shape. I watched him have wars with Daniel Cormier and a lot of guys, and they were rock 'em, sock 'em. He doesn't react much to getting hit in the face, so our plan was to get him in the body."

Aspinall (15-3) was in New York for UFC 309 and sat cageside for the main event. The 31-year-old English champion has been a wrecking ball in the heavyweight division in recent years, recording first-round finishes in seven of his nine UFC appearances. He won the UFC's interim title in November 2023 and made a rare defense of it against Curtis Blaydes in July.

Before Saturday, Jones had shown zero interest in facing Aspinall, even going as far as to call him a "nobody." Jones had said he'd rather vacate the heavyweight title than face Aspinall in the Octagon. Whether that was a negotiation tactic or Jones simply had a change of heart, it now appears a unification bout is very much on the table.

With the victory, Jones extended his UFC record to 16 title fight wins.

- Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer

TOM ASPINALL SENDS MESSAGE TO JON JONES AFTER SENSATIONAL 60-SECOND KO AT UFC 304

Aspinall scored another blistering stoppage winCredit: Getty

Tom Aspinall has predicted his winner for Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic and revealed remarkable plans for his post-UFC endeavours.

Aspinall is the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion, which he claimed by overcoming Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 in November 2023.

Many felt Aspinall should have been squaring off with full heavyweight champion Jon Jones next.

But instead 'Bones' is expected to duke it out with Stipe Miocic at the back end of this year.

Taking to the mic in the immediate aftermath of his statement victory, Aspinall sent a message to his rival.

"Hello Jon, I have nothing against you personally," he said.

"But I just think I'm better than you. I just know I can beat you fight in a fight, so I'm coming for you."

In beating Blaydes, Aspinall avenged the only loss of his UFC career.

The Brit blew out his knee in the opening 15 seconds of their inaugural encounter back in July 2022, resulting in an inconclusive TKO loss.

He will now wait for his opportunity to fight the winner of Jones vs Miocic, which is reportedly taking place in November.

Aspinall has been campaigning relentlessly for a fight with Jones since winning the interim crown against Sergei Pavlovich last November.

Growing frustrated by a relative newcomer repeatedly calling him out, Jones took to social media in January to rip into Aspinall’s record.

“Only four recognisable opponents, and already the king of England, must be nice," he tweeted.

"There will be legendary tales told about you and your infamous call outs.

“I was a champion when I was 23 years old, you can’t show up at age 30 pretending like you’ve been chasing me your whole life.

"I have no clue who 90 per cent of his résumé is, meanwhile, I’ve been highlighting UFC events my entire career.

“It’s a wild world we live in! People can be so quick to try to replace you, throw you away, discredit your work.

"That’s the best thing about them stats or just being able to see the fruits of your labor.

“Be an absolute savage at what you do, at whatever capacity that may be.

"Let the work speak for itself, be undeniable in this world ladies and gentlemen. Be absolutely undeniable.”

Provided Jones comes out unscathed against Miocic, we could finally see him take on Aspinall in 2025.

- George Glinski

NGANNOU: UFC'S WHITE STANDING IN WAY OF MEGAFIGHT WITH JONES

Francis Ngannou is tired of listening to UFC CEO Dana White and wants to set the record straight.

Ngannou, 38, successfully returned to MMA after a two-year detour in boxing -- and the death of his 15-month-old son -- by defeating PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira in the main event of PFL Super Fights in Abu Dhabi.

While most of the MMA world celebrated Ngannou's return, White took aim at his former champion at a news conference ahead of UFC 308 by saying that he considered cutting Ngannou before he became champion and that "The Predator" actively ducked a fight with current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

Ngannou reacted to White on Sirius XM Fight Nation's MMA Today.

"I think Dana's trying to make things up to buy good faith in the position he has lost," Ngannou said on Friday. "Dana has lost in this situation... and he cannot stand it. Bro, I won everything: I left. It's been almost two years, and the guy is still out there, he can't live without hounding me. Regardless of everything that happened, I'm not about him.

"The guy can't stand me. I don't know what his problem is. He can make everything up. That is his problem. I think he needs to make peace with himself because this situation is kind of weird."

White suggested that Ngannou would have made more money had he decided to stay with the UFC rather than sign with the PFL. Ngannou left the UFC in January 2023 and signed with the PFL in May 2023. While being signed with the PFL, he had the freedom to pursue opportunities outside the promotion and took on then-undefeated WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in boxing followed by a massive fight with former unified champion Anthony Joshua. Although he lost both, Ngannou reportedly made $20 million for both fights and raised his profile before heading back to MMA last weekend.

White shrugged off Ngannou's success away from the UFC and suggested he would have made more money if he stayed.

"Francis left because he knew that if he fought Jon Jones and didn't win, it would hurt his chances of making the money that he wanted to make," White said. "But realistically, his deal was bigger here. His deal was bigger here if he stayed in the UFC. They can deny it all they want, why the f--- would I lie? Why do I care? It doesn't matter to me one way or the other... he would have made more money if he stayed in the UFC.""

Jon Jones, right, and Francis Ngannou exchange pleasantries at a PFL event in June of 2023. Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

For Ngannou, there is more to the story, including money that he says the UFC still owes him.

"Which money is he talking about? The money that he owes me?," Ngannou said. "Remember, all of this ended with [them] saying, 'Oh, we'll backpay you from the money that we owe you for the Stipe [Miocic] and Ciryl Gane fight,' all of that. They never backpaid me. Now I have made more money than I have ever made in the UFC -- I would say twice the money that I could have ever made in my entire UFC career if I had continued in the UFC.

"Either way, if I had made less money, if I'm not making enough money that I could've made in the UFC, that's my problem. Why is he so pissed about me not making that much money? Like, c'mon man, live your life."

As for the Jon Jones fight, Ngannou is still very much interested in it and believes that Jones would like the fight as well. Jones is set to face former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic on Nov. 16. Should Jones win, Ngannou would welcome a cross-promotion fight, which would be one of the largest in MMA history. Whether it could happen is another question.

"The only guy standing in the way of that fight is Dana White," Ngannou said. "I want the Jon Jones fight. I'm down for the fight. Jones is down for the fight. But this is a new narrative. I was down for a Jon Jones fight three years ago and I am down for it now."

One person who could bring the fight to fruition is the Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh and his Riyadh Season events. Riyadh Season was a title sponsor for Noche UFC and Alalshikh was instrumental in financing Ngannou's fights with Fury and Joshua. If anybody has the pull to make it happen, it would be Alalshikh.

While Ngannou holds on to a sliver of optimism that a fight with Jones could materialize, it would require White to check his ego at the door.

"For that to happen, Dana has to let this beef go," Ngannou said. "He has to let it go."

- Andreas Hale, ESPN

ASPINALL KO'S TYBURA, SETS SIGHT ON UFC HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

Reuters 

British heavyweight Tom Aspinall made a triumphant return to MMA with a devastating first-round knockout of Marcin Tybura in the main event of Saturday's UFC Fight Night at the O2 Arena, almost a year to the day after tearing his MCL.

Aspinall's last visit to the octagon ended after just 15 seconds of his bout against Curtis Blaydes as his knee gave out, and he almost brought his comeback fight to a close at the same mark with a head kick that wobbled his Polish opponent.

JON JONES REVEALS WHAT HE WOULD DO AFTER STRIPE FIGHT

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