“The plan is to fight Jon [Jones] this summer. My goal this year is to make that fight with Aspinall. I think the fight everybody wants to see right now is Jones vs. Aspinall…Alex Pereira could fight the winner,” Dana White said before UFC 313, hinting that the Brazilian would face the winner of the highly anticipated heavyweight title unification bout between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. However, last week at T-Mobile Arena, Magomed Ankalaev shocked the MMA world with a stunning upset. Many, including Dana White, expected Pereira to dominate Ankalaev, but the fight unfolded differently.
Ankalaev, with his all-around game, disrupted Alex Pereira‘s rhythm and dethroned him as the light heavyweight leader. This unexpected turn of events shook up the division and forced Dana White to rethink his stance on Pereira’s potential move to heavyweight. At the UFC 313 post-fight press conference, White commented, “There are still tough guys to fight in the light heavyweight division. I believe in moving up after you clean out divisions.” This dampened the hopes of fans eager to see a showdown between Jon Jones and ‘Poatan’ in the heavyweight division. Though White initially dismissed the idea with a blunt “no f—ing way,”
Recently, former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen shared his perspective, suggesting that Dana White may be using Alex Pereira as a ‘bargaining chip’ to push Jon Jones into agreeing to a title fight against Tom Aspinall. In an Instagram video, Sonnen explained, “There has to be a reason for moving him up, not just for the sake of it. I don’t get the point. It’s like he’s going to be offered a title fight at 205 lbs, so in the best-case scenario, if he moves to heavyweight, he’s offered a title fight there.”
“But my belief in Pereira moving up to heavyweight is superseded by the fact that Pereira, as a piece on the chessboard, would provide value.” UFC vet further speculated that if the Jon Jones vs. Aspinall fight doesn’t happen for any reason, matchmakers would likely turn to Ciryl Gane vs. Alex Pereira. However, following UFC 313, Sonnen concluded, “But all my opinions are gone if it’s just about straight competition—keep a guy at his weight.”
Both Alex Pereira and Jon Jones had been reluctantly discussing the possibility of facing each other, an idea that began to take shape last year. While many fans speculated that ‘Bones’ was “ducking” Tom Aspinall to protect his undefeated legacy, the Brazilian saw the potential the Albuquerque native fight as a “champ vs. champ” encounter. He believed that this fight had the ability to break previous PPV records and guarantee a massive live gate, with both fighters’ long-standing careers leading to a significant payday.
Now, with Alex Pereira seemingly out of the picture and Tom Aspinall’s name fading from the heavyweight title race, Aspinall is making his intentions known to Jon Jones.
Tom Aspinall sends strong message to Jon Jones after Alex Pereira’s UFC 313 loss
Jon Jones shared his disappointment, writing, “Disappointed. I was looking forward to sharing the Octagon with you,” after his long-awaited fight with Alex Pereira was postponed. With his sights now set on interim champion Tom Aspinall, who has been waiting since late 2023 for his shot at the heavyweight title, Aspinall is eager to claim the undisputed championship, having already defended his interim title once against Curtis Blaydes.
Meanwhile, Alex Pereira, who had been hesitant to face Jon Jones, saw his title hopes fade when Magomed Ankalaev was declared the winner, a moment that reshaped the trajectory of Aspinall’s career. Now, Aspinall is confident that nothing stands between him and ‘Bones’.
Speaking on his YouTube channel about the possibility of a Jones vs. Pereira fight, Aspinall said, “That’s off the table now, Jon. There’s only one thing to do, mate. Sign the contract and let’s set a date. We saw Dana White talking last night. Everything is now squared away on Jon’s side, and the UFC just needs to find a date and venue. So, we’re waiting on that, and hopefully, we’ll have some good news soon.”
What are your thoughts on Chael Sonnen’s remarks? Do you think Dana White, from the very beginning up until UFC 313, never truly intended to allow Alex Pereira to move up to heavyweight? Or was the Brazilian being used as a pawn to set up the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall matchup? Share your thoughts below.
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