When Jon Jones named the only fight not worth retiring after Stipe Miocic clash (and it wasn't Tom Aspinall)

Last year, Jon Jones shared his thoughts on fighting Stipe Miocic in his last MMA fight and potentially hanging up his gloves for good. Jones is undoubtedly among the greatest fighters of all time and has made his mark in the combat sports world with his impressive list of accomplishments.

While it's no surprise that Jones is held in high regard by most MMA fans, many have questioned his lack of activity since capturing the UFC heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023. While he was booked to face Miocic at UFC 295 last November, a pectoral injury forced him to withdraw.

It's worth noting that interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has been eagerly calling for a title unification bout against Jones for a long time and has urged the UFC to book him opposite Jones instead of Miocic. However, with age seemingly catching up to the 37-year-old MMA icon, many have wondered if 'Bones' would retire after facing Miocic in a potential fight and leave the Englishman hanging.

Last May, Jones spoke to Fox Sports Australia about his career plans and opened up about considering retirement after facing Miocic. Giving fans some insight into his mindset, Jones said:

"Right now, my goal is to have one more big [fight] against Stipe Miocic, Madison Square Garden and then kinda hang it up from there... I’ve been in the game a long time and in fighter years, I’m an old guy."

Jones then named ex-UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou as someone who could potentially entice him back to the cage and continued:

"I do believe a Francis Ngannou fight would be worth entertaining not retiring. I think a Francis fight would come with some serious revenue and that would make it worth my while." [H/t: Calf Kicker]

Catch Jon Jones' comments on retirement below:

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Tom Aspinall confirms backup role for Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic heavyweight fight

Earlier this month, Tom Aspinall confirmed that he'd be ready to step in to replace Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic if and when required. The Englishman is coming off an impressive first-round knockout win over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July.

During an interview with Sky Sports, Aspinall revealed that he's accepted the official backup role for the Jones-Miocic fight and reiterated his belief about being the "best heavyweight in the world" today. He said:

"I'm gonna be the backup for the fight. If one of them pulls out, you better believe I'm in. On an hour's notice if I need to... I should be the undisputed heavyweight champion. Everybody knows that now... I took out every contender that there is at this point and I should be the UFC heavyweight champion... I'm the best heavyweight in the world and I'll wipe out both [Jones and Miocic] in one night if I need to."