Former UFC women's champion argues that a Tom Aspinall fight "does nothing" for Jon Jones' legacy: "IC is a paper title"
A former UFC women's champion recently showed her support for Jon Jones' decision to ignore Tom Aspinall's calls for a heavyweight title unification fight. Apart from backing Jones' stand, she also took a dig at the value of UFC interim championships.
In a recent X post, Jones expressed his intention to focus the remainder of his UFC career on crafting the legacy he always desired. This led him to choose a fight with Stipe Miocic over the current interim heavyweight champ, Aspinall.
'Bones' wrote:
"As at this point in my career, every decision is rooted in purpose. My journey isn’t dictated by hype or outside opinions—it’s about crafting a legacy that speaks for itself, one step at a time. I’m here to do what’s right for my career and my legacy, with a vision that’s clear"
However, a significant portion of the MMA community has criticized Jon Jones for his lack of interest in fighting Tom Aspinall.
UFC Fight Pass play-by-play commentator Ben Davis replied to Jones' post, expressing his own desire to see the Jones vs. Aspinall heavyweight title unification bout. Davis wrote:
"Legacy would probably fight the IC who has more divisional title defenses than you at the moment"
Davis' comment prompted a response from former UFC women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg. The 39-year-old disagreed with him and mocked the significance of UFC interim championships.
Cyborg stated:
"That fight does nothing for 'Bones's' legacy. IC is a paper title. Jones is the 🐐 he makes the rules."
Jon Jones had lauded Cris Cyborg's last performance at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants
Despite being a UFC fighter, Jon Jones followed the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants event held on October 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On that night, Cris Cyborg fought before the Ngannou vs. Ferreira main event and secured a unanimous decision victory against Larissa Pacheco.
Following Cyborg's victory, Jones took to X to praise her fearless performance. He wrote:
"I’m incredibly proud of @criscyborg right now. OG showing how it’s done."
Cyborg's latest supportive comments for Jones may be a reciprocation of his appreciation for her.