“Jon is retired. What are you talking about, you guys? You guys don’t follow Jon,” said Tom Aspinall this week, sending shockwaves across the MMA world. While speaking with UFC veterans Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, the Englishman boldly claimed that Jon Jones has retired from the sport and won’t be returning. And perhaps he has a point. It’s been over six months since ‘Bones’ last stepped into the Octagon—long enough to frustrate Aspinall.

That ongoing silence and lack of action have left both fans and Tom Aspinall exasperated, still waiting for the long-promised super fight. Jon Jones originally hinted he’d return in summer, but his updates since have been inconsistent. At times, he hints at retirement. Other times, he teases a comeback. The result? Fans are stuck in limbo, and the heavyweight division is at a standstill. Currently, the New Mexican appears to be focused on side ventures in Thailand—from filming the AFL reality show to hosting seminars.

At one such seminar, he stated, “Tom and I agreed to wait for the UFC to make their announcement.” But the Brit quickly shut that narrative down during his appearance on the Good Guy / Bad Guy podcast. Contradicting Jon Jones, he declared: “That’s old news. The active heavyweight champion is here to fight them all, let’s get it on. I’ll tell you something. I’ve got a date and a location.”

That comment hinted that another opponent—not Jon Jones—is next in line. Still, some believe Tom Aspinall could be playing a psychological game. On his YT channel, Chael Sonnen shared his perspective,

“I’m just sharing with you the psychology. But while Aspinall is clearly not under oath and just having fun with Daniel, I clearly stated that he does see himself having a fight coming up. That announcement will come—and that is not Jon. For that to be all ‘ballyhoo’, for that to be all ‘boys will be boys’, he would need Jon to go along with it. And there is no scenario—regardless of how good it would be for business.”

Earlier this year, Tom Aspinall set a new record by holding the UFC interim heavyweight belt for over 534 days, surpassing the previous mark held by Renan Barão nearly a decade ago. During that time, the interim champ successfully defended his title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 308. Meanwhile, Jon Jones—now one of the most controversial figures in the sport—held the heavyweight title for over 800 days but managed just one successful defense.

With Aspinall’s next fight still uncertain, fans have begun accusing ‘Bones’ of avoiding him to protect his legacy.

Will Tom Aspinall’s psychological tactics lead Jon Jones to fight him?

Alongside Tom Aspinall’s psychological tactics targeting Jon Jones, MMA fans have launched a widespread social media campaign—including petitions and online criticism—demanding action. A petition calling on Dana White & Co. to strip ‘Bones’ of the UFC heavyweight title is quickly gaining momentum and is approaching 200,000 signatures. This is despite Dana White’s firm reassurance that he’s “super confident” the fight will happen “100%” this year.

Adding to the mounting pressure, fans have organized a mass unfollow campaign set for June 6, aiming to unfollow Jon Jones across all social media platforms. This movement reflects growing frustration and accusations that the New Mexican is avoiding Tom Aspinall. However, Daniel Cormier believes these tactics might actually succeed in pushing Jon Jones back into the Octagon. On the Funky and the Champ show, ‘DC’ shared his candid view:

“I don’t know that he vacates without fighting him because I think the visual and the lasting thought would be that ‘he ran from him,’ and I don’t know his ego could handle that he ran from someone. The idea that people would think he is afraid means more to him than going out there and fighting him and taking the chance.”

What’s your take on Daniel Cormier’s perspective? Do you believe Jon Jones, motivated by his ego, would risk defending his title against Aspinall, even if it might put his legacy on the line? Share your thoughts below.