UFC news, rumors: Jon Jones continues to troll Tom Aspinall by saying ‘shut your mouth and do as you’re told’

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is doing everything but defending his title. The longer overdue title unifier between Jones and Tom Aspinall remains in stasis. Amid growing unrest from Aspinall, analyst and fans, Jones told his chief rival to shut up.

Aspinall recently told former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson he was struggling to stay motivated while waiting for Jones. Aspinall has been the interim heavyweight champ for 18 months and is one of four interim titleholders to defend their title. Aspinall is entitled to a title unification bout, but welcomes becoming the default undisputed champion if Jones refuses to fight.

Jones has only defended the title against Stipe Miocic, the latter returning from a 44-month layoff, since winning it in March 2023. Despite his inactivity, Jones had a simple message for Aspinall.

“Shut your mouth and do as you’re told,” Jones commented on an Instagram post responding to Aspinall’s comments.

Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight’s failure to launch just the latest example of UFC missing the plot in 2025

Brian Campbell

UFC CEO Dana White insists Jones vs. Aspinall will happen in 2025, but no tangible evidence suggests it will.

More UFC news, rumors

• Newly minted UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena might have the toughest first title defense possible. Islam Makhachev, UFC’s No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound fighter, vacated the UFC lightweight title to hopefully challenge the welterweight champ. While Della Maddalena sees Makhachev as a more difficult conquest than former 170-pound champion Belal Muhammad, he thinks Makhachev’s striking is simpler. “I think Islam Makhachev is a better version of Belal,” Della Maddalena told “The West Sport” on Wednesday. “I think his striking on the feet is easier than Belal, because he’ll stay in one stance. He’s more of a traditional style. But yeah, he’s a pound-for-pound No. 1, so it’s a tough fight. But we’ll watch all his fights again, make a solid game plan, and just start working on it from pretty much now.”
• Makhachev’s welterweight move spoiled fan appetite for Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria, but UFC 317’s main event is the next best thing. Former featherweight champ Topuria and ex-lightweight champ Oliveira fight for the vacant 155-pound title on June 28. Both men are elite knockout and submission finishers, but “Do Bronx” believes he’ll have Topuria out cold. “It’s a great fight, he’s a great fighter, but I don’t need to prove anything to anyone about who I am, what I’ve done, (and) what I’ve done in the fight business,” Oliveira told “Full Violence” on Wednesday. “This fight came at a huge opportunity. I will knock out this guy. That’s for real.”
• The UFC is rife with champions moving to other divisions. Topuria’s move is confirmed and Makhachev’s seems imminent. UFC women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili hasn’t formally committed to a move to women’s flyweight, but a fight between her and 125-pound women’s champ Valentino Shevchenko is a top priority for fans of the division. Erin Blanchfield, a women’s flyweight contender fighting Maycee Barber on May 31, thinks Zhang’s potential up a weight class is overblown. “I think she could win some fights at flyweight, because she is very good. But I don’t see her being a champ,” Blanchfield told MMA Fighting on Wednesday. “I don’t really see her even being top five at 125.”