Gane is currently on a two-fight winning streak and is the No. 1 contender in the UFC's official heavyweight rankings. Aspinall, who was promoted from interim to undisputed champion when Jones' retirement was announced, is expected to work out his plans during International Fight Week. Gane believes he should be in the next title fight.

There is no immediate indication that Jones' retirement is related to the latest charge. Jones' lawyer, Christopher Dodd, released a statement on Monday firing back at the charges and accusing the Albuquerque Police Department of "improper" targeting of his client.

If you want to suggest "The Eagle" warrants higher placement, we won't argue. In fact, the only smudge on Nurmagomedov's record in the UFC is that his stay was too brief, comprising just 13 fights from the moment he appeared on a UFC on FX undercard in 2012 to his tearful goodbye after choking out Justin Gaethje in 2020.