Tom Aspinall finally has his undisputed heavyweight champion status after Jon Jones made his retirement decision through Dana White last week. This has really ruffled some feathers among fans eager to see ‘Bones’ go toe-to-toe with the English star. Aspinall wasn’t exactly gunning for a showdown with Jones; his eyes were set on snagging that championship belt instead. Still, the heat was on the former two-weight champ to take that fight that ultimately fell through.

Fans lit up social media when Jon Jones kept stalling on the potential fight against Tom Aspinall. After a long wait, they finally kicked off a petition to take the title away from ‘Bones,’ and a ton of fans are backing the now-undisputed champion, racking up over 150,000 signatures. Aspinall appreciates the support, but he’s got his eyes set on the future, not dwelling on what’s behind him.

We are almost approaching UFC 317, and the last time Tom Aspinall fought was back at UFC 304. It’s been a pretty long time since he’s been on the sidelines. Understandably, the Manchester native was annoyed and frustrated with the delay, and now, his focus is solely on getting back inside the Octagon and fighting his next opponent when Dana White announces it.

“I try not to let my ego take control of me. I could see why people think that [Jones avoided the fight]. But to me it’s just like, maybe when I’ve retired myself, which is not going to happen in the next couple of years, at least, I’ll think about that kind of stuff,” Tom Aspinall stated in The Diary of a CEO podcast. “Right now, it’s just like we’ve got to focus on another fight. We’ve gotta get me active. We gotta get back out there and doing what I’m supposed to be doing. Cuz right now, I’ve been thinking about that whole situation, being help and frustrated for almost a year. And it’s not what I love doing.”

As the opportunity to fight the GOAT, some fans may tend to think that Tom Aspinall is furious about missing out on that. But guess what? Aspinall doesn’t seem to be the kind of fighter who holds grudges, as he shared a pretty respectful message to Jon Jones. Let’s take a look.

Tom Aspinall wishes Jon Jones a happy retirement

Tom Aspinall, as we’ve mentioned already, is looking ahead and not back, and given what Jon Jones has done in his career, he deserves to call his shot at retirement. The English hopes the former champion lives a peaceful life with his family now that his career is over. Aspinall also claimed that if Jones believes he’s done almost everything in the UFC, he doesn’t need to make another return like he did after claiming to have been done with the sport in 2020.

“I don’t know if he will be watching this… But if he is, I think he’s had an amazing career, and I think he should enjoy the rest of his life. I think if he truly feels like he’s done enough, which he keeps saying that he does, he will be at peace. He doesn’t need me or anybody else to tell him how good he’s done,”
Tom Aspinall added. “I hope that he’s enjoying his life. He’s enjoying his family, and he’s celebrating his career because it’s been amazing.”

Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall has outlined a trio of potential challengers—including Gane, “Brazilian beast” Jailton Almeida (currently ranked No. 5), and former foe Alexander Volkov—on The Diary of a CEO, reinforcing his eagerness to defend the title at least twice in 2025.

Well, the bad news for the fans maybe that they did not get to see Jones vs Aspinall, but the good news is that the division is no longer in a limbo. The new undisputed champion could get his next opponent soon, and it’s all up to Dana White, as Ciryl Gane claims that he’s confident about fighting Tom Aspinall. Nevertheless, what do you make of Jon Jones’ retirement? Drop your comments below.