UFC star Jon Jones backed to retire after blockbuster return this year: ‘It will be his final appearance’

Linked heavily in recent months with a title return in the summer, Jon Jones is set to call time on his decorated combat sports career following a unification clash with Tom Aspinall, if you ask former opponent of his; Chael Sonnen.

Jones, a former undisputed light heavyweight champion twice under the banner of the promotion, returned to successfully defend his heavyweight crown at UFC 309 back in November, welcoming former champion, Stipe Miocic back to the Octagon.

And firmly sending the Ohio veteran into his own respective retirement, Rochester native, Jones would lay down a one-sided beating to the former, before turning in a third round spinning-back kick TKO win, successfully defending his portion of the heavyweight crown.

Weighing up a title unification clash with current interim gold holder and British star, Aspinall in the summer of this year, Jones claimed he would only consider “f*ck you” money to return in a high-stakes pairing with the former.

Jon Jones set to retire for good this year, according to Chael Sonnen

And despite claiming in recent weeks that he would stack up as much cash as he could before retiring — which could see him fight twice more in the Octagon, former title challenger, Sonnen has predicted his past rival will hang up his gloves in the immediate aftermath of a fight with Aspinall — regardless of result.

“If you wanted my boldest prediction of 2025, I’m actually very confident in the prediction and that is that Jon Jones retires,” Chael Sonnen said during a recent episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy. “I will tell you that Jon Jones is gonna fight Tom Aspinall. I will tell you Jon’s gonna do a lot better with Tom than some people are giving him credit for, but that’s tomorrow’s discussion. When that fight is done, win or lose, I do believe it will be Jon’s final appearance.”