Who would’ve thought that what Dana White & Co. wouldn’t dare to do, MMA fans might actually be bold enough to push for themselves? Last week, the long-standing situation surrounding reigning heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones took a dramatic new turn online. The uproar began when not just interim champion Tom Aspinall, but thousands of frustrated fans voiced their discontent over ‘Bones’ holding the title for over 800 days while defending it only once.
Accusations of Jon Jones “ducking” Tom Aspinall have circulated for months, and the frustration finally reached a boiling point. Fans rallied together in an unprecedented online movement, launching a petition urging the UFC to strip ‘Bones’ of his heavyweight title. That petition has now amassed over 150,000 signatures and continues to grow—gaining the backing of several influential and well-known figures in the sports world.
But Jon Jones remains unfazed, brushing off the campaign entirely. He responded to the criticism, saying, “Stripped? Lol, do I come across as the type of person who cares about things like that”. Currently, the New Mexico resident is spending his time in Thailand, filming for the AFL reality show and reportedly planning to train with fellow UFC star Alex Pereira. He’s making the most of the spotlight, and according to reports, may soon attend a martial arts seminar at Bangtao Muay Thai—further fueling speculation around his training plans.
Meanwhile, the “strip Jon Jones” chant is gaining serious momentum. Its impact has even started to reach fighters close to Jones. This week, Alex Pereira—while attending a UFC athlete meet-and-greet event in Germany with Abus Magomedov—shared a series of photos from Munich with the caption, “Talk about strikers! @AlexPoatan Pereira & @Abus_Magomedov touched down at FC Bayern World while seeing the sights in Munich!”
However, after the UFC had to cancel the event due to overwhelming fan turnout, controversy followed. MMA fans quickly flooded the Brazilian’s social media post with comments, not about his trip, but demanding Jon Jones’s title removal. Outrage continues to spill into unrelated posts as fans react to the rumored ‘Bones’–Pereira training alliance. Let’s take a look at what fans are saying…
Fans drag Alex Pereira into ‘Strip Jon Jones’ bandwagon
UFC 306 marked a historic moment for the promotion. Inside the dazzling Las Vegas Sphere, fans witnessed the first-ever public appearance of Alex Pereira and Jon Jones together—an encounter that immediately sparked interest. It was during this moment that the Brazilian publicly expressed his desire to train with ‘Bones’, highlighting Jon’s 16 years of “tons of experience.”
But it didn’t take long for rumors to catch fire. Whispers of a potential super fight between Pereira and Jones began circulating, captivating fans with the thought of two dominant champions colliding. However, those hopes were short-lived. The dream matchup fizzled out in March of this year when Alex Pereira was unable to defend his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313.
Now, with an Alex Pereira vs. Ankalaev rematch rumored to be in the works—according to recent media reports—the narrative has taken another turn. Reports also suggest that tbe Brazilian is preparing to train alongside Jon Jones, a detail fans picked up on through his social media. That’s when tensions really began to boil over. A fan boldly commented on one of Pereira’s posts, “Strip Jon Jones,” a sentiment echoed by another who added, “Strip Jonathon Jones.”
The American hasn’t competed since UFC 309 last November, when he defended his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic. On that same card, Tom Aspinall claimed the interim title with a dominant victory over Sergei Pavlovich. Since then, the Brit has already defended his belt once and is now officially recognized as the reigning UFC interim champion—having surpassed Renan Barao’s 534-day reign almost three weeks ago.
Fans have taken notice. In the comment sections across social media, many are calling out Dana White & Co. to “strip the duck.” One fan, clearly frustrated that Jon Jones has held the title for over 800 days with just one defense—outlasting even Cain Velasquez’s reign—wrote, “820+ days 1 title defense and still running from the interim, strip Jon Jones.” Despite the growing backlash online, UFC CEO Dana White has remained silent. His only previous response to the criticism came when he tried to downplay concerns, urging fans to “just relax” and assuring them that a Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight is in the works “100%.”
But fans aren’t buying it. Confidence in the UFC’s leadership has started to erode. One fan, echoing the general frustration, sarcastically posted, “Stop asking to strip Jon Jones, I can’t like all the comments (strip Jon Jones tho)“—a clear jab at the overwhelming flood of similar messages across ‘Poatan’s and UFC’s posts.
What do you think about fans now dragging Alex Pereira into the conversation as a way to turn up the heat on Jon Jones? Can this wave of pressure actually push Jon to either defend his title against Tom Aspinall—or give it up altogether? Sound off in the comments below.
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