Jon Jones has retired from competition, UFC CEO Dana White announced, making Tom Aspinall the sole titleholder of the promotion's heavyweight division. White said that Jones called Friday, June 21, to tell the UFC about his retirement.
"Jon Jones called us last night and retired," White told reporters at the UFC on ABC 8 post-fight news conference.
Aspinall is also the third champion from Britain, after Michael Bisping and Leon Edwards. The first defense of his championship belt might come against Ciryl Gane.
Aspinall has broken his silence on Instagram, writing, “For you fans. It’s time to get this Heavyweight division going. An active Undisputed Champion”.
Tom Aspinall’s wife and children
Aspinall is married to Justyna, a Polish woman, and the two share three children, two of whom are twins. Aspinall and Justyna are believed to have tied the knot after being in a long-term relationship. Justyna has mostly stayed away from the spotlight and the public eye, despite her husband’s fame.
Back in 2023, Aspinall spoke out about one of his sons being diagnosed with autism. He said, according to BBC, “I didn't want there to be something wrong with my son. But when you start to learn about autism, you learn there's not something wrong with them. It's just a different way that their brains work."
{{/usCountry}}Back in 2023, Aspinall spoke out about one of his sons being diagnosed with autism. He said, according to BBC, “I didn't want there to be something wrong with my son. But when you start to learn about autism, you learn there's not something wrong with them. It's just a different way that their brains work."
{{/usCountry}}Aspinall added, "We'd say his name and he would not look at you or make eye contact.”
Recently, in a video that surfaced on social media, Aspinall revealed his advocacy plans towards helping people on the spectrum. He said while talking to a friend at a pub, “I want to get more into charity stuff. I want to do some more stuff for autism because my son is autistic...It's difficult. I want to get a funding thing where you can put stuff in public places that cater to autistic people, because I know what it's like to be in a public place with an autistic kid. it can be hard. I want to get more funding for that. But setting up a charity is not easy."