What effect will the Aspinall duck have on JBJ's legacy?

[tgv976]

The fact that he made light work of Gane and Stipe was impressive enough.

All credit to Jon for winning but come on man. The Gane fight was so bad it looked like a work. Idk wth happened with him, but he looked scared to death and wanted out. And beating an ancient Stipe wasn't exactly tough competition when he ducked the rightful challenger from the start.

 

[World eater]

Unless it will be explicitly stated in the first paragraph of his wikipedia page, it will have no effect at all. Newer fans will watch the fights, read stats and construct their own version, just like they do now.
Plus, he will be in goat discussions no matter what he does.

 

[joy2day]

There's a ton of people who don't think less of his career after all the positive tests and everything he's done outside of the cage. Those people won't be moved either way. The haters will still hate as well.

True, but I'm sure you would agree that "haters" in his case aren't limited to people who are jealous and resentful as is the case with the majority of MMA fighters. Jon's actions will always reflect negatively on his character, and everything up to and including this silly charade at the end of his career are reasons that his legacy will always be mixed (and there is nothing unfair about that, he created it).

 

[Jonny Ninja]

Personally i don't think Jones will ever fight Aspinall. I also think the way he's behaving is circumstantial evidence that he also ducked Ngannou, the whole 3 yr bulking process was just a duck as far as i'm concerned.

So now he has steroids, and soon he'll have a history of ducking his biggest challenges. To me thats enough to knock him off the GOAT perch.

Ducking Tom will have a far bigger impact on his legacy than a loss would. In fact how much does a loss really affect his legacy considering he’s at the end of his career, and is a natural CW.

I also don’t think this fight will ever happen

 

[joy2day]

Jones legacy will be no different than any other great athlete whose career was defined by controversy and cheating, Look em all up and see how time has treated their legacies, all the baseball steroid freaks, Pete Rose's gambling, Lance Armstrong, Michael Vick, even Karl Malone's entire career stands on even ground with the fact that he was an extraordinary deadbeat dad. Damn near anybody who fucked up in any capacity, it never goes away. Long after their careers are over you always see the reformed contrition from these people, asking for forgiveness as old men, many years after anyone else gives a shit about them it still haunts them everywhere. It's sad. The sports world has a code of honor and integrity and whoever breaks those gets the asterisk. That's how it's always worked and always will.

At this point, Jons high profile ducking is historic in the sport. He has literally redefined the genre and made himself the poster boy of running, especially for this part of his career which is turning out ot be a very substantial saga as it has unfolded. Just like the HOF, this segment of Jons career has earned it's own wing of his legacy.

As it stands the only thing he can do to minimize all of this is to fight and beat Aspinall. Getting his ass kicked will just cement his duck era and make it a legendary story that stands on its own. He should've handled this whole thing like a man, let alone an all time great champion. No idea wtf he was thinking.

Yeah, I agree that behavior colors one's legacy. Especially when it comes to actual cheating, but in other ways too. What you are actually remembered for often revolves around the not so flattering. People like Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong will always be remembered with an asterisk, as will Jones.

It's kind of like with Bill Clinton- he presided over one of the longest economic booms America has seen, but no one will ever remember him for anything but getting a hummer from an intern named Monica. Those kinds of things stick out despite considerable accomplishments later on.

 

[Captain Herb]

Getting stripped of the belt for refusing to fight the interim champ isn't a good look on that all-important resume he's so worried about. It's quite a blemish along with many other blemishes that are already on it. He should just say fuck it and get knocked out. Give the people what they want, he'll be a hero.

 

[Streeter]

Depends on Aspinals career. If he becomes a great then it's bad if he fades it's not even blip

 

[El Panteron]

Don't think it will impact his legacy that much, if he retired before even moving to heavyweight we'd still be talking about one of the best to ever do it.
For me even losing wouldn't tarnish his legacy much, as it didn't when he lost to Reyes.
What does is the steroids. I obviously don't think he's the only one doing them, but he's the one that popped. So yeah.

 

[HHJ]

It's really not a great way to close out. It would have been fine if he just vacated, but he is dragging this shit out forever and its very annoying... so for it to have no payoff, is pretty disgusting.

 

[ShadowRun]

It is a fake scenario you can’t duck someone you weren’t schedule to fight yet

 

[Foppa21]

Not much, at least in my opinion. The guy can stop fighting whenever he wants and if he fights, whoever he wants.

Personally, I feel that those that retire, fans are more angry that they didn't honour the tradition of going out on their shield but rather are choosing to end a lineage. GSP for not fighting Whittaker at the time. Same with Khabib, though there was no "name" at the time that people thought could challenge him, people wanted the opportunity to possibly see him lose.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

Jones will be in my top 3 even if he lost to Aspinall. No matter what.

He would be close to #1 if he beats Aspinall.

 

[MDoza]

True, but I'm sure you would agree that "haters" in his case aren't limited to people who are jealous and resentful as is the case with the majority of MMA fighters. Jon's actions will always reflect negatively on his character, and everything up to and including this silly charade at the end of his career are reasons that his legacy will always be mixed (and there is nothing unfair about that, he created it).

Oh no my favorite CAGE FIGHTER isn’t a model citizen.

Lmao some of you are so gay.

 

[MrShady]

"What have you done for me lately"

His entire run at HW is a joke. That's how he'll be remembered. No hespect.

 

[joy2day]

Oh no my favorite CAGE FIGHTER isn’t a model citizen.

Lmao some of you are so gay.

I was talking about people's perception of him, and it had a little to do with his "citizen" problems. But I won't waste any time explaining that to you, it's clearly over your head..

 

[MDoza]

I was talking about people's perception of him, and it had a little to do with his "citizen" problems. But I won't waste any time explaining that to you, it's clearly over your head..

People’s perception of his character vs. people’s perception of his fighting ability are completely different things.

Even the biggest Jones haters recognize that he is one of the most dangerous fighters of all time.

In 50 years when people are watching old fights, they will still recognize that Jones was better than everyone else in his time, and they won’t care about his life outside the cage.

 

[cburm]

0

 

[Siver!]

None at all.

Even if he lost to Aspinall it really wouldn't. He was just old.

I actually think he'd be better losing and letting people use the age excuse.

Fedor is still my personal P4P GOAT, and his later stage losses do nothing to affect that.

If he'd signed for the UFC and refused to fight Brock or something, that might have deposed him in my mind. He wouldn't have done that, of course, but just theoretically speaking, if he fought out a contract while avoiding Brock (or the #1) then GSP would be my P4P GOAT as we speak.

 

[markg171]

Jon Jones haters are so pathetic they honestly think it would be better for his legacy to have just gotten KO'd in 13 seconds like his contemporaries have been.

And if he ever does they all certainly won't treat that like a fluke like they do for them.

 

[markg171]

Jones cheated and lost via DQ. It was a loss. It's an exceptionally valid loss for a fighter with a habit of fouling so bad that it'd make Gilbert Yvel squeamish.

How many losses do you think Tom has by contrast