"Jon Jones doesn't owe us a loss" - Former opponent plays devil's advocate about 'Bones' from a fan's POV
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones' former opponent Anthony Smith has come out in the 37-year-old's defense regarding the topic of his UFC career.
There are several uncertainties as to whether Jones will retire after his next outing or continue. Jones himself has hinted that his fight against Stipe Miocic could potentially mark the end of his UFC career. This has not gone down well with several MMA fans who want to see 'Bones' have a showdown against current interim champion Tom Aspinall.
UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith, who has shared the octagon with Jones in the past, recently spoke on the issue with Michael Bisping on the Believe You Me podcast.
'Lionheart' argued that some fans just want Jones to continue fighting because they want to see him lose. Smith added that the 37-year-old deserves to retire on his own terms:
"Jon doesn't owe us a loss. I think everyone wants to push it to the very, very end and him retire on a loss or see how far we can push him or see how far he can go. At some point in time, the dude does deserve to be left alone and just retire."
Check out Anthony Smith's comments below (26:05):
Jones and Smith fought for the light heavyweight title at UFC 235. 'Bones' outclassed his opponent and took home the victory via unanimous decision.
What did Jon Jones say about fighting Tom Aspinall?
Jon Jones does not seem interested in sharing the octagon with Tom Aspinall.
Ahead of his clash against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, 'Bones' sat down for a conversation with Kevin Iole. At one point during their interview, the champ was asked whether he would be open to fighting Aspinall if he emerges victorious against Miocic on Nov. 16.
Jones replied:
"More than likely not. I feel like Tom Aspinall is, I don't want to say 'nobody', but he just hasn't proven anything. And I understand that he won his belt against Sergei [Pavlovich]. Sergei just got slaughtered by someone else. So, it's like, I'm not here to gamble [on] someone else making a name off me."
Check out Jon Jones' comments below (7:55):