Daniel Cormier Pushes UFC to Dethrone Jon Jones

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

UFC legend turned commentator/analyst Daniel Cormier is calling for the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizing body for Jon Jones to be stripped of his UFC heavyweight belt.

On June 20, 2025, the former heavyweight belt holder said that it is time for the UFC to penalize Jones following his comments regarding the planned unification title fight against Tom Aspinall.

Aspinall, who became one of the longest interim heavyweight champions in the UFC, is yet to receive a final word from Jones if their blockbuster bout will still take place. The uprising brawler has been ready for almost a year now, but the big fish has yet to bite into the trap that they set.

Two weeks ago, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Jones initially agreed to fight Aspinall, but his recent comments in the Full Send Podcast sent the upcoming fight crashing once again.

“I don’t want to say that I’m retired because fighting’s in my blood. Right now, I could really care less about fighting. I’ve been doing it my whole life at a very high level and when the itch comes back. And if it comes back, then I’ll do it with my whole heart, do it to the best of my abilities,” said Jones in the podcast.

On the other hand, Cormier, who was Jones’ long-time nemesis when he was still an active fighter, said that this is the moment that White and the UFC should strip him off his belt.

According to Cormier, Jones doesn’t want to fight Aspinall at all. The only thing that is keeping the reigning heavyweight champion from staying under the radar is for the UFC to adjust to his own terms, pertaining to the split of the pot money.

“If he does not sound like he is going to fight, it’s time to take the belt. It’s time to move on. And hope that itch he speaks about comes back and if it does, stick him in there with Tom Aspinall. Give him no other choice,” said Cormier.

Aspinall is currently on a hot streak after scoring three consecutive knockout wins over Curtis Blaydes, Sergei Pavlovich, and Marcin Tybura.

Jones meanwhile is fresh off a technical knockout victory over former heavyweight king Stipe Miocic, but has only fought twice in the last two years since making his UFC comeback against Ciryl Gane.