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Top-5 UFC fighter says it’s time to strip Jon Jones of heavyweight belt

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated May 13, 2025 4:07 PM ET

It's not just fans and pundits that are tired of the inactivity at the UFC heavyweight championship level; it's other fighters.

Jon Jones sits atop the throne and has fought once in the last 801 days. 'Bones' defended his belt against an aged Stipe Miocic in November last year, and doesn't seem any closer to a second defense six months later.

Meanwhile, interim champion Tom Aspinall has been champing at the bit to become undisputed champion, and he's expressed boredom with waiting for Jones to make a move...

Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

'End of discussion' ... Curtis Blaydes calls for Jon Jones to be stripped of UFC heavyweight title

Opinions have been exacerbated by Jones recent remarks, where he denied ducking allegations.

Sharing Aspinall's sentiment, top-five-ranked UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes expressed his own blunt opinion in an Instagram story on May 13.

Reacting to Aspinall's boredom, Blaydes wrote, "Can't even blame him at this point, Jon should be stripped end of discussion."

Curtis Blaydes-Instagram

UFC champions are normally stripped or vacate their title due to injuries, and in some cases, timidity. Turning down fights or avoiding top contenders is one way to have the belt taken away, but Jones has been an exception since March 2023.

Most notably, Conor McGregor was stripped of his featherweight title for inactivity in 2016. 'The Notorious' was also a champion at lightweight, and was champion at featherweight for just 350 days.

With 801 days under his belt, Jones is on track to achieve the longest single-stretch heavyweight reign in UFC history. He has 95 days to tie Cain Velasquez's record of 896 days. This would put Jones as the heavyweight champion by August 16, 2025.

Does the UFC strip Jones by that time?

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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