Jones was previously the UFC heavyweight champion, while Tom Aspinall was the interim heavyweight champion.
Jones, 37, leaves the sport with a near-perfect 28-1 record. His sole loss came in July 2022 when he injured his knee against Curtis Blaydes. Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history when he took the light heavyweight title in 2011 at 23 years old, eventually transitioning to the heavyweight division in 2023.
Prior to his retirement, Jones had been facing pressure to vacate his title because of his prolonged inactivity and delays in defending against Aspinall.
In 2023, following a three-year hiatus, Jones made his return to the UFC for his first heavyweight fight, going on to defeat Ciryl Gane in the first round and claim the belt that had been vacated by Francis Ngannou just before, per Sportsnet. Jones defended his belt against former long-time champion Stipe Miocic in Nov. 2024. He revealed earlier this month that he hadn’t “really worked out” since that victory at UFC 309, per Bleacher Report.
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