Jones refutes ducking claims: 'I'm living my absolute best life'

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is adamant that he's not ducking interim champ Tom Aspinall.

"I've got people in the chat calling me a duck. Meanwhile, I'm living my absolute best life," Jones said on Instagram Live earlier this week while apparently riding a motorcycle.

"I don't know if it's considered ducking when you're living good. I don't think it works like that."

MMA fans have been eager to see Jones and Aspinall square off in a title unification bout for well over a year, though it's yet to materialize. UFC CEO Dana White said in March he was "very confident" the fight would happen this summer. From all accounts, the holdup is on Jones' side and is likely a financial issue. Aspinall said earlier this week he was "bored" of waiting for the fight to happen.

Jones, one of the greatest fighters of all time, has defended the heavyweight title just once since winning it in March 2023. He finished Stipe Miocic by third-round TKO at UFC 309 last November. Jones said after his victory that he preferred a superfight with then-light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira over a unification bout against Aspinall, and that retirement was also on the table.

Aspinall has held the interim heavyweight title since November 2023 and recently became the longest-reigning interim champion in UFC history.