Petition to strip Jon Jones of UFC title draws 130,000 signatures: ‘He clearly has no intentions of fighting’
Fans Demand Jon Jones Be Stripped of Heavyweight Title Amid Aspinall Wait
Growing impatience with Jon Jones’ inactivity has spurred over 130,000 fans to sign an online petition urging UFC CEO Dana White to strip Jones of the heavyweight championship. The petition highlights Tom Aspinall’s interim title and readiness to fight for the undisputed title.
Aspinall captured the interim UFC heavyweight title 18 months ago, after Jones withdrew from his scheduled title defense against Stipe Miocic. the UFC initially prioritized Jones vs. Miocic, despite Miocic’s long layoff and Aspinall’s claim to a title opportunity.Hopes for a Jones vs. Aspinall fight faded as Jones delayed, fueling fan frustration over the heavyweight title picture.
The Change.org petition states,”There is a clear interim champion,Tom Aspinall,who has defended his interim championship belt… 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 responded to the petition with mockery when it had around 40,000 signatures. One fan comment on the petition, liked over 1,000 times, underscored the impact on both fans and Aspinall.
“I’ve been a huge UFC fan as about 2006… At one time, Jon Jones was my favorite fighter… This whole debacle is a stain to the sport. If Jon won’t fight Tom, he needs to be stripped.”
Sean Bismarck,UFC Fan
Bismarck added,”Dana cannot keep playing favorites like this… It’s wasting Tom’s prime, it’s unfair to other fighters, and quite frankly it’s ruining the sport… Love the UFC, but this is an issue, and perhaps we all need to boycott it.”
Aspinall defeated Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 last July, marking his frist interim title defense. Aspinall, who has averaged two fights per year since joining UFC in 2020, has not competed since.These circumstances have denied Aspinall a chance to become the undisputed champion.
White has stated that Jones vs. Aspinall will be booked this year, but no official proclamation has been made.
What’s next
The UFC faces increasing pressure to resolve the heavyweight title situation, with fans and fighters eager to see Jones defend his title against Aspinall. The coming months will be critical in determining the future of the UFC heavyweight championship.