Jones Retires; Aspinall Becomes UFC Champion
Tom Aspinall waited for a heavyweight title-unification bout with Jon Jones, but they never fought. Jones announced his retirement in June 2025 and vacated the title; the UFC elevated Aspinall to undisputed champion. Aspinall later vacated the belt in September 2026.
Aspinall did not capture his interim title by defeating Ciryl Gane in January 2025; he beat Pavlovich in 2023. Jones did not win the heavyweight title by defeating Miocic in March 2023; that bout was in November 2024. The UFC’s 2025 year-end championship review summarizes the stalled unification talks and Jones’ retirement.
The long-awaited title fight between Aspinall and Jones disappeared as negotiations stalled and Jones publicly stepped away. Aspinall then received undisputed status after Jones’ retirement, but his own first title defense ended in a no-contest against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in October 2025 after eye pokes stopped the contest. Aspinall later vacated the heavyweight belt in September 2026 because of continuing eye problems, according to Reuters.
That makes the current status very different from the March 2025 speculation. There is no completed Jones-Aspinall unification bout, and Aspinall is no longer champion after relinquishing the belt. Jones has left open the possibility of a return in interviews, but a return is not a booked fight. Matchmaking rumors should be distinguished from signed bouts and official title changes.
Aspinall’s interim reign began with one of the heavyweight division’s quickest title-fight knockouts. At UFC 295 he stopped Pavlovich in the first round after stepping in on short notice. His defense against Blaydes came at UFC 304 in Manchester, where he again won by first-round knockout. Those results established his claim to the next title opportunity, even as negotiations with Jones stretched on.
The division moved on without the bout fans expected. Jones’ retirement briefly made Aspinall the undisputed champion, but the Gane no-contest and subsequent eye injury interrupted his reign before a defense could be completed. Reuters reported that Aspinall said the worsening injury made his return timing uncertain and that he did not want to hold up the division.
A factual update is that Aspinall waited, Jones retired, Aspinall inherited the undisputed belt, and then vacated it after the Gane injury. Any future bout between the two would require a new agreement and official booking.
