Teddy Atlas Wonders What Are The Rules For Defending UFC Titles?

Boxing pundit Teddy Atlas is asking the same question interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is wondering about, along with many MMA fans. That question is, what are the rules when it comes to defending a UFC title? In this case, the UFC heavyweight title that is gathering dust on the mantle of one Jon Jones.

In an interview with Slingo, Atlas said he believed Jones was holding the UFC heavyweight title hostage before wondering if the UFC has relayed the “rules” of defending its titles to not just Jones, but any of its fighters.

What Are The Rules?

“What are the rules? What are the enforcements? What are the mechanisms in place in this sport, in this business?” Asked Atlas.

“What are the rules and are they being enforced? And if they’re not being enforced. And they’re not being obliged by. They’re not being lived up to, or, paid attention to.

“Then you know what the repercussions are. There has to be an enforcement part of those rules. You can’t have rules if there’s no enforcement of those rules, I mean, what’s the sense of having rules?”

The Two Current UFC Heavyweight Champions

Jon Jones won the vacant UFC heavyweight title in March 2023, securing a submission win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.

The expectation was that Jones would defend that title against former two-time champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November 2023. However, that plan fell to pieces when Jones was forced from the card with a torn pec.

With Jones on the sideline and UFC CEO Dana White standing by his decision to make the Jones vs. Miocic fight for the UFC heavyweight title, the promotion opted to insert Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight belt at UFC 295. At the time, Aspinall was ranked No. 4 in the division, while Pavlovich checked in at No. 2.

The interim heavyweight title fight lasted 69 seconds, with Aspinall ending the bout via knockout.

The Jones vs. Miocic fight did not take place until November 2024. Jones held on to his belt that night, beating Miocic by TKO in the third round. By that time, Aspinall had already defended his interim crown, scoring a first-round knockout win over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July 2024.

Aspinall has been waiting for the title unification bout with Jones since Jones’s win over Miocic in November. In late April, Miocic became the longest-serving UFC interim champion, topping the 535-day reign of Renan Barao, who defended his interim title twice before being named undisputed champion.

Aspinall has recently voiced his displeasure about waiting for Jones to sign on for a title unification bout, while Jones has said the UFC has known his career plans for a long time and didn’t know why the promotion was not communicating those plans.

UFC CEO Dana White has remained hopeful that the Jones vs. Aspinall fight will take place in 2025.

We will have more on the potential Jones vs. Aspinall title unification bout as news becomes available.