UFC all-time great Jon Jones is done stepping into the Octagon, as he prepares to begin the next phase of his life. Dana White, the CEO and president of the mixed martial arts juggernaut, announced the 37-year-old's retirement, per ESPN's Brett Okamoto, and also dropped some major news that corresponds with Jones' departure. Tom Aspinall is the new undisputed heavyweight champion.

And just like that, a new era of combat sports is officially underway. Fans will need some time to process this abrupt development, though. A Jones-Aspinall unification title bout was widely expected to take place at some point, so one has to wonder what happened to bring about this decision. Perhaps Jones is content with his vast body of work and no longer feels the need to put his body on the line in the cage.

The New York native, who is the older brother of Super Bowl champion and two-time All-Pro defensive end Chandler Jones, defeated fellow legend Stipe Miocic last November in what will apparently be his last UFC fight. Jones posted a 28-1 record during his 16-plus-year run with the company, with the only loss coming by way of disqualification versus Matt Hamill in 2009. Many fans argue that Dominick Reyes defeated him in 2020, but the judges awarded Jones a unanimous victory.

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The man called “Bones” is embedded in UFC history, but one cannot examine his greatness without also noting the many lowlights that occurred during his career. Jon Jones has been arrested several times and failed multiple drug tests. He was stripped of his title three times and suspended on two separate occasions. Needless to say, there are many people who are glad to see him go.

When evaluating his track record as a competitor, it is hard to deny his overall dominance. Current and future fighters will strive to surpass the high bar he set inside the Octagon.