Former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones struck a nerve with Matt Brown after hinting at a UFC White House comeback.
Jon Jones raised eyebrows just just a few days ago when the previous UFC heavyweight champion announced he had re-entered the promotion’s drug testing pool just weeks after his retirement.
Jones, who retired after prolonged contract talks with the UFC to log out on the Tom Aspinall fight, could have to take a seat on the sidelines for no less than six months before being eligible to return to the cage.
U.S. President Donald Trump also made headlines when he announced an upcoming UFC event at The White House for next 12 months, to assist have fun the 250th anniversary of the USA’ independence. Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler, and other top stars have weighed in on fighting on the event.
Matt Brown pivots on Jon Jones stance amid former champion’s latest comeback tease
One such star fascinated by a featured bout at The White Home is Jones, who shares a cordial relationship with President Trump and recently hinted at targeting a comeback fight on the U.S. capital. While Jones fired up many fans along with his newfound interest in fighting, not everyone seems to be completely satisfied with the previous titleholder’s latest remarks.
During a recent episode of MMA Fighting‘s The Fighter vs. The Author podcast, former UFC star Matt Brown reacted to Jones’s latest comeback teases.
“I’m as big a Jon Jones fan as anybody,” Brown began on Jones. “I’ve at all times defended he’s not afraid of Tom, he’s willing to fight anybody. It’s hard to not fall into that narrative here though. To me, fighting on the White House, that doesn’t do it…
“I’ll inform you this looks bad, for my part. I’ve got essentially the most respect for Jon. I speak about it on a regular basis. The dude was kicking people’s —es while on cocaine. I’ve done enough cocaine to know, I couldn’t do this. Respect, Jon, you’re a nasty ———-. But this looks like ducking.”
“I’ll be very clear, I don’t consider that Jon is frightened of him or ducking him or any of that s—. But when he chooses to not fight him, makes the selection — if he comes back and fights [somebody else], he is selecting to not fight Tom Aspinall, I don’t know if we necessarily say that’s a nasty look but it surely’s saying exactly what it’s. He selected to not fight Tom Aspinall. That’s not cool.”
Meanwhile, Aspinall was promoted to undisputed heavyweight champion after Jones’s departure. He’s targeting a return to the Octagon later this 12 months, potentially against the likes of Ciryl Gane, Alexander Volkov, or UFC Nashville headliner Derrick Lewis.
Jones opted to not fight Aspinall after months of negotiations, starting in the times after he finished Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. Jones captured the then-vacant heavyweight belt by submitting Gane at UFC 285.
Jon Jones returned to training just weeks after retirement announcement
Amid his comeback teases, Jones put gasoline on the hearth when he posted footage of him returning to training alongside teammate Maurice Greene. UFC CEO Dana White recently shared a stunned response to Jones returning to the gym on the UFC 317 post-fight press conference.
Jones is widely considered certainly one of the best UFC fighters of all-time, but his abrupt leave from the Octagon has impacted his legacy within the minds of some fans. Aspinall has fought only once since earning the interim heavyweight title at UFC 295.
As Jones plots a possible return to the Octagon, mixed reviews are surfacing regarding a comeback fight. We could learn more about Jones’s fighting future in the approaching months.