Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith is notably upset about Jon Jones`s decision to retire from the UFC without fighting Tom Aspinall.
On Saturday, the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion, widely considered the greatest fighter in MMA history, officially announced his retirement. This move effectively cancelled a highly anticipated title unification bout against interim champion Tom Aspinall.
Jones had reportedly kept Aspinall waiting for nearly 600 days. Instead of facing Aspinall in his first title defense, Jones fought and defeated 42-year-old Stipe Miocic before ultimately retiring.
Following his retirement announcement, Jones has faced considerable criticism, including accusations of “ducking” Aspinall, who is now recognized as the undisputed heavyweight champion.
Stephen A. Smith Shares His Disappointment Regarding Jon Jones`s UFC Retirement
Stephen A. Smith, a sports personality known for his passionate commentary, shared his perspective on Jones`s retirement, particularly his choice to forgo the title unification fight against Aspinall, which many saw as one of the most significant potential matchups in UFC history.
Speaking on ESPN`s First Take, Smith expressed his admiration for Jones, stating, “I`m not going to accuse the greatest mixed martial artist I`ve ever seen in my life in Jon `Bones` Jones… I have that much admiration for him.” However, he immediately followed up by saying, “Having said that, I`m incredibly, incredibly disappointed with this news,” referring to the retirement.
Smith praised Jones`s fighting ability, calling him “absolutely phenomenal. He`s the real deal.” He pointed out Jones`s apparent irritation with Aspinall, noting that Aspinall “just irritates me and annoys me” according to Jones, who “doesn`t even want to be asked about Tom Aspinall during interviews.” Smith highlighted the ironic outcome of the retirement: “Well, now with your retirement, Aspinall is the undisputed heavyweight champion.”
Smith emphasized his core point: “My point is, if you are a fighter, which he is at a very elite level, and that`s the fight that people want to see, give us the fight that we wanna see.”
Stephen A. Smith`s Message to Jon Jones: “We Want to See You Handle Tom Aspinall”
Jones, at 37 years old, steps away from the UFC after a career spanning 30 professional MMA fights. His retirement leaves a potential matchup against Aspinall, possibly the biggest heavyweight fight ever, unrealized.
Despite previous assurances that the fight would happen, UFC CEO Dana White stated he made extensive efforts to get Jones to agree, but ultimately without success.
While Jones has publicly shown limited interest in Aspinall, Smith believes Jones made a significant error by not facing the British fighter.
Smith drew a comparison to common frustrations in boxing, stating, “What do we complain about with boxing? We complain about promoters and others getting in the way of us getting the fights that we wanna see when we wanna see it.” He argued that Jones exhibits similar behavior when annoyed: “And Jon `Bones` Jones, he`s literally this kind of person. If you get on his nerves, one or two things will happen. They wanna kick your ass, which he`s fully capable of doing and does it at an elite level, or he`ll say to hell with you. I`m not gonna give you the privilege of fighting me because that fighter annoyed him.”
Smith urged Jones to consider the fanbase: “As opposed to looking at the audience out here spanning millions and millions of people who recognize your greatness and wanna see you against this guy who`s been calling you out for the longest time. Handle it. Then, retire if you want to…”
He criticized what he perceived as Jones`s motivation: “But don`t retire, because guess what? There`s not really a fight out there that you`re interested in. This guy irritates you. So to hell with it,” Smith commented on why Jones seemingly avoided the Aspinall fight.
Smith concluded his remarks passionately: “`I`m not gonna give him the privilege to fight me…` It ain`t about that. That audience out there who loves you, who recognizes your unquestionable greatness, we wanna see you handle this guy!”
Gareth Pendleton