Many consider Jon Jones the greatest fighter in the history of mixed martial arts. Yet, criticism looms over his recent inactivity. As fans eagerly await his matchup with interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, a petition has surfaced demanding that UFC CEO Dana White revoke Jones’s heavyweight title.

It’s been 18 months since Aspinall captured the interim title, a fight arranged after Jones withdrew from his first title defense against Stipe Miocic. Despite this, the UFC has pushed for a matchup between Jones and Miocic, even though Miocic hasn’t fought in years and Aspinall is due a title shot.

After Jones defeated Miocic last year, hopes surged for a fight with Aspinall. However, Jones has continued to delay, leading to mounting frustration among fans. The Change.org petition calling for the strip of Jones’s title has amassed over 130,000 signatures.

“There is a clear interim champion, Tom Aspinall, who has defended his interim championship belt. Aspinall is ready to fight Jones. Jones refuses to fight him,” the petition states. “It’s time for Dana White to intervene: strip Jones of the heavyweight title. He clearly intends to fight anytime soon.”

Jones acknowledged the petition’s existence and mocked it when it reached about 40,000 signatures. One remark on the petition gained over 1,000 likes, with a fan expressing concern over the impact on both Jones and Aspinall.

“I’ve been a dedicated UFC fan since about 2006, attending live events and watching every pay-per-view. At one point, Jon Jones was my favorite fighter. This entire situation is a stain on the sport… If Jon won’t fight Tom, he needs to be stripped,” one fan commented.

Jones and the interim champion are expected to unify their titles, but the prolonged absence from the octagon has deprived Aspinall of a deserved opportunity to claim the full championship. White has promised fans and the media that the fight would be scheduled this year, yet no updates have surfaced as summer approaches.