- Jon Jones was forced to withdraw from his fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 295
- The heavyweight star has now issued an emotional message to his supporters
- LISTEN: Exclusive Tyson Fury interview on THE HOOK – our new boxing podcast
UFC star Jon Jones has broken his silence with an emotional message to supporters after being ruled out of UFC 295 due to injury.
On Wednesday, UFC president Dana White revealed that Jones tore a tendon in his pectoral muscle and will be out for eight months, meaning he had to withdraw from his fight with Stipe Miocic on November 12.
In response, White quickly announced that English star Tom Aspinall will now face Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight title.
Since the news, there has been a lot of discussion about whether Jones will return to the octagon given the lengthy layoff he now faces.
However, amid concerns from fans, Jones has taken to social media to calm their nerves and promise he plans to rebook the fight ‘at a later date’.
Jon Jones took to Instagram to deliver an emotional message to supporters following his injury
Jones has been ruled out of UFC 295 due to a chest injury and the fight has been replaced
Take to InstagramJones said: “It’s obviously a very sad situation, very upset. But I’ve been through a lot of things in my life, and injuries are part of being an athlete. I would like to thank the UFC for allowing me to be one of the best doctors in the country.
“I wanted to thank Stipe Miocic for all the work he put in. Also my apologies to Stipe and his team. Like I said, this comes with the territory.
‘The goal is to have surgery and return to work as quickly as possible. I think it’ll be Stipe and I at a later date, and that’s my plan.
“Hopefully these other heavyweights, Aspinall and Sergei, will put on a great show for you guys. I might even come to the event to watch. But I love you all, and hey, your son Jon Jones is doing well.”
Fans were left heartbroken after White revealed that the man considered by many to be the greatest fighter ever will be sidelined for eight months and that Aspinall vs Pavlovich will take place for the interim heavyweight title.
The UFC president said: “Jon Jones was training last night, got injured, he was wrestling and he tore the tendon that connects your pecs, right down to the bone. (Out) eight months, I’ll need surgery. He is gone.’
Jones had viewed his fight with Miocic as possibly the last of his decorated career.
He believed that victory over the consensus best heavyweight ever would further cement his own legacy.
Jones’ last outing saw him destroy Ciryl Gane in one round in March this year
Tom Aspinall (L) and Sergei Pavlovich (R) will now fight for the interim heavyweight title
Jones made his long-awaited return to action earlier this year, some three years after giving up his light-heavyweight crown to move up a division.
He had won a record 14 title fights and is now on a 19-fight undefeated streak after defeating Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title.
Jones was suspended for a year in 2016 for a failed drug test and his 2017 win over Daniel Cormier was overturned to a no-contest after another drug test came back positive.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency changed the criteria for what constitutes a positive test in 2019, and Jones said he would have passed under the revised standards.