Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith is vocal about his disappointment regarding Jon Jones` decision not to fight Tom Aspinall.
The reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion, often hailed as the greatest fighter of all time, officially retired from mixed martial arts on Saturday. This decision meant he bypassed a potential title unification bout against interim champion Tom Aspinall.
Jones had kept Aspinall waiting for almost 600 days. Ultimately, for his first title defense, he retired rather than face Aspinall, having instead fought the 42-year-old Stipe Miocic.
Jones` retirement has sparked considerable criticism, including accusations that he is `ducking` Aspinall, who is now recognized as the undisputed champion.
Stephen A. Smith expresses disappointment on Jon Jones retiring from UFC
Known for his strong opinions, sports personality Stephen A. Smith shared his views on Jones retiring without unifying the title against Aspinall, a fight many saw as one of the biggest potential matchups in UFC history.
Speaking on ESPN’s First Take, Smith stated, “I’m not going to accuse the greatest mixed martial artist I’ve ever seen in my life in Jon ‘Bones’ Jones.” He added, “I have that much admiration for him… Having said that, I’m incredibly, incredibly disappointed with this news.”
Smith acknowledged Jones` phenomenal talent, calling him “the real deal.” However, he noted Jones` apparent irritation with Aspinall. Smith mentioned that Jones reportedly dislikes being asked about Aspinall in interviews, adding, “Well, now with your retirement, Aspinall is the undisputed heavyweight champion.”
Smith emphasized his 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 to Jon Jones: ‘We wanna see you handle’ Tom Aspinall
Jones, 37, concludes his UFC career after 30 professional MMA bouts, leaving behind a potential heavyweight clash with Aspinall that many considered the biggest possible fight.
Despite previous assurances that the fight would happen, UFC CEO Dana White indicated he did everything he could to make the Jones vs. Aspinall fight a reality, but ultimately without success.
While Jones may not be Aspinall`s biggest fan, Smith believes he made a mistake by not facing the British fighter.
Smith drew a comparison to boxing: “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 suggested Jon Jones exhibits similar behavior when annoyed by another fighter.
Smith elaborated on Jones` potential reaction to irritating opponents: “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.”
He contrasted this with considering 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…”
Smith argued against retiring simply because no other fight *personally* interests Jones or because Aspinall is irritating. “‘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!” Smith concluded.
