Jon Jones` tenure as UFC heavyweight champion remains a major topic in MMA circles. Over the past two years, he has defended the title only once, in a bout against Stipe Miocic that drew criticism for overlooking interim champion Tom Aspinall.
Despite the Miocic fight occurring months ago, Jones continues to disregard Aspinall and the anticipated title unification bout. This situation has prompted frustrated fans to demand that Jones either face Aspinall or vacate the heavyweight championship.
Amanda Nunes comments on calls to strip Jon Jones of the UFC heavyweight title
Former two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes was present in New Jersey for the recent UFC 316 event. The event featured Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison for the women`s bantamweight title, with the winner expected to be Nunes` opponent upon her return.
Nunes, known as `The Lioness,` unexpectedly retired from her dominant reign as a double champion after successfully defending her bantamweight title against Irene Aldana in June 2023. Many anticipated her return, and plans are reportedly underway for her to potentially compete again in 2025.
During a fan Q&A session in Newark, Nunes was asked for her opinion on whether Jon Jones should be stripped of his heavyweight belt.
Drawing from her own experience of stepping away from her title while considering her future, the Brazilian fighter suggested Jones consider a similar approach.
Nunes explained her reasoning for retiring: “If I didn`t retire, I would have held up the division… I could have stayed, but I wouldn`t have been able to fight. I would have been a year-and-a-half waiting for the belt and the girls would have been like waiting for me until I had the answers. So I just retired.”
She added, “I know I can get the belt back whenever I want, and I just retired and then come back later. Maybe he (Jones) can (lose) that belt and then see what happens later.”
Fan petition to strip Jon Jones surpasses 185,000 signatures
A fan petition calling for the UFC to strip Jon Jones of his heavyweight title continues to gain significant traction, accumulating a remarkable number of signatures since its launch.
Starting with around 20,000 signatures in its first week, the petition has rapidly grown, recently exceeding 185,000 and nearing the 200,000 mark.
The petition`s description highlights: “Jon Jones is now the longest reigning champion in UFC heavyweight history and has only fought 2 times in that period.”
It adds: “There is a clear interim champion, Tom Aspinall, who has defended his interim championship belt. Aspinall is ready to fight Jones. Jones refuses to fight him. Therefore, we as fans must let Dana White know: It is time to strip Jon Jones of the heavyweight title. He clearly has no intentions of fighting anytime soon.”
Jones has publicly dismissed the petition, stating he is unconcerned about being stripped, referencing previous times he was stripped of his light heavyweight title.
The status of the UFC heavyweight title remains uncertain, but Aspinall`s recent claims that Jones has retired suggest that the likelihood of their highly anticipated fight is diminishing.
Rupert Hartwell 
Benedict Kingsley