'That's hilarious': Jon Jones issues testy response to Tom Aspinall for call to be stripped of UFC title

It took a little while, but UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones finally has responded to Tom Aspinall.

Jones, arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday night to address Aspinall’s call for the UFC to strip Jones of his title belt, promote him to undisputed champion and have him defend that title against Stipe Miocic while Jones remains out of action because of his injury.

He finds Aspinall’s request “hilarious.”

“I’ve faced the absolute toughest competition this world had to offer for 15 years now,” Jones wrote on X. “During camp for a title defense, I sustained a major injury that required surgery for the first time in my career.

“Now I have newcomers requesting I get my championship stripped. Zero wins over legends, zero title defenses and already thinking you can call the shots to Dana, that’s hilarious. In my 15-year career, I have seen so many guys who are supposed to be the next big thing. There’s ever only been one Jon Jones, never forget that. ”

I’ve faced the absolute toughest competition this world had to offer for 15 years now. During camp for a title defense I sustained a major injury that required surgery for the first time in my career. Now I have newcomers requesting I get my championship stripped. Zero wins over…

— BONY (@JonnyBones) December 4, 2023

Jones, who won the vacant UFC heavyweight title this past March by submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, was supposed to return Nov. 11 in the headlining bout of UFC 295. However, two weeks before his title fight against Miocic, Jones was forced to withdraw after tearing his pectoral muscle in training.

In response, the UFC booked an interim title fight between Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich, which Aspinall won by first-round knockout.

Contrary to usual practice, the UFC doesn’t intend to have a unification bout. Instead, the promotion intends to preserve the Jones-Miocic fight, something that Aspinall is not happy with.