Jon Jones' Retirement: A Missed Opportunity or Smart Move?

Jon Jones, the UFC heavyweight champion, has decided to hang up his gloves. This means he won't be fighting Tom Aspinall, the interim champion, to unify the title. Instead, Jones chose to retire after defending his title against Stipe Miocic, who is 42 years old. This decision has sparked a lot of debate. Stephen A. Smith, a well-known sports commentator, has shared his thoughts. He admires Jones' skills but is disappointed that he won't fight Aspinall. Smith believes that fans want to see this matchup and that Jones should have given them what they want. Jones has been avoiding Aspinall for nearly 600 days. He even said that Aspinall irritates him. Now, with Jones' retirement, Aspinall becomes the undisputed heavyweight champion. Smith thinks Jones made a mistake by not fighting Aspinall. He argues that Jones should have handled the situation differently. Smith also compared Jones to boxing promoters who prevent big fights from happening. He said that Jones is similar because he avoids fights with people who annoy him. Smith believes that Jones should have fought Aspinall to give the fans what they want. Jones is 37 years old and has had 30 professional MMA fights. He leaves behind a legacy, but also a big fight that fans will never see. UFC CEO Dana White tried to make the fight happen, but Jones ultimately decided against it.