UFC legend and heavyweight champion Jon Jones has retired from the sport, according to president and CEO Dana White.
The news, which White announced during a press conference in Azerbaijan on Saturday night, means that Britain's Tom Aspinall, the interim belt holder, has been upgraded to full champion.
“Jon Jones called us last night and retired,” said White. “Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC.
“Do I regret the time that I gave [Jones to decide]? Listen, if you look at what he's accomplished in the sport, no.”
Jones, 37, claimed the heavyweight title in March 2023 and defended against Stipe Miocic last November - despite Aspinall, the rising star of the division, claiming the interim belt the year before.
Aspinall, 32, has campaigned long and hard for a fight with Jones, but the American refused to entertain the idea.
Jones is widely regarded as one of the best mixed martial artists of all time, but infuriated fans by claiming that fighting Aspinall would not add to his legacy.
Aspinall reacted via his social media, saying: “For you fans, it's time to get this heavyweight division going. An active undisputed champion.”
The Manchester fighter (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is expected to defend the title this summer and is likely to face No1 contender Ciryl Gane. Aspinall has not fought since July 2024.
“I obviously feel bad for Tom that he lost all that time and obviously money, but we'll make it up to him,” said White.
“Tom Aspinall's a good guy. He's been incredible through this whole process.
“He's been willing to do anything, fight him anywhere at any time and do this, and now he's like 'I'll fight anybody – you tell me who and I'll fight them'.”
Jones, who turns 38 on July 19, compiled a 28-1 record (11 TKOs) in capturing UFC titles at light heavyweight and heavyweight.
White's announcement countered Jones' own words on Thursday when he appeared on the Full Send podcast.
“I don't want to say that I'm retired because fighting is in my blood,” Jones said on the podcast.
“Right now, I could really care less about fighting. I've been doing it my whole life at a very high level and when the itch comes back – and if it comes back – then I'll do it with my whole heart, do it to the best of my abilities.
“I think I will fight again. Where the future of combat sports is going, it's going to be amazing when I pop back up.”
Jones has had a troubled history out of the octagon, where he became the youngest UFC title holder at age 23 with a win over Mauricio Rua for the 205-pound crown.
Jones, who is 16-0 in UFC title bouts, has dealt with legal issues as well as a year-long suspension in 2016 for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs – a result he disputes.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Results
5pm: Warsan Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Dhaw Al Reef, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Quadra Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mrouwah Al Gharbia, Sando Paiva, Abubakar Daud
6pm: Hatta Lake – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Yatroq, George Buckell, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adries de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Zakher Lake – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Alfareeq, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
