UFC Fans Chant Against Jon Jones After Curtis Blaydes’ Panel Slip
At UFC 319, a moment that wasn’t meant to cause waves ended up going viral when heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes accidentally set off a disrespectful chant about Jon Jones. During a Q&A session with fans, Blaydes was casually discussing the current state of the heavyweight division, making the point that things were finally moving forward without Jones holding everything up. But the second Jones’ name was mentioned, the crowd erupted in a loud, repeated chant of “f— Jon Jones.” Blaydes, clearly surprised, tried to brush it off, saying he hadn’t meant to start anything, but then added with a grin, “Y’all can keep going.” And of course, the fans did exactly that.
The whole moment was another reminder of how tense the subject of Jon Jones still is among UFC supporters. Jones retired earlier this summer at age 38, closing the book on a legendary career where he held both the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles. He was also the youngest champion in UFC history, winning the belt at just 23 years old and dominating entire generations of fighters after that. But despite that résumé, many fans have not forgiven him for walking away without ever facing Tom Aspinall, who had been holding the interim belt for nearly 600 days.
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That decision alone sparked plenty of backlash, but the frustration grew even stronger when Jones hinted at a possible comeback only weeks after officially retiring. For a lot of people, it felt like the story was dragged out just to avoid Aspinall. To add fuel to the fire, Jones chose to fight 42-year-old Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 rather than unify against the younger, hungry challenger in Aspinall. Meanwhile, Aspinall defended his interim title against Curtis Blaydes in a rare non-unification bout at UFC 304.
For Blaydes himself, who once technically holds a win over Aspinall due to a freak knee injury just seconds into their first fight, the chapter with Jones is something he’s happy to leave behind. He made it clear at the panel that he’s relieved the division no longer revolves around Jones’ decisions, opening the door for new matchups and real competition.
As for Aspinall, he’s moved on too—now recognized as the undisputed champion and preparing for a massive defense against Ciryl Gane in October at UFC 321. Their showdown is being billed as the true beginning of a new heavyweight era. Blaydes even gave his prediction at the panel, saying he believes Aspinall will beat Gane, pointing to Gane’s past struggles against wrestlers like Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones.
So while the chants may not have been intentional, they captured the sentiment of a lot of UFC fans right now: respect for Jon Jones’ career will always be there, but frustration lingers over what could have been. And as Aspinall leads the division into its next chapter, the crowd seems ready to let go of the Jones era—even if they have to send it off with a few unfiltered chants.
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