Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall for the undisputed heavyweight crown has all the makings of the Fight of the Year. But actually making it happen? That might be the UFC’s toughest task yet. It’s been over six months since ‘Bones’ last stepped into the Octagon, when he took out Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. Tom Aspinall, despite being the interim champion, has been sidelined. But the Brit is doing his best to get the attention of the champion. But is he going overboard? Well, Anthony Smith thinks he is.
“I think Jon’s a smart guy and realizes that, so he wants to be compensated financially for it. I’m well bored of it. I’ve had enough. We either need to fight, or I need to move on to something else”. Aspinall said during his interview with High Performance, and he seemed highly frustrated. Well, there are reasons for ‘The Honey Badger’ to get frustrated, but the recently retired UFC heavyweight feels he needs to control himself a little bit. The UFC CEO, Dana White, has also made it clear that the pair will definitely fight in 2025, and Smith doesn’t want Aspinall to hurt the ego of the champion with such statements.
‘Lion Heart’ sat down for a chat on the ESPN MMA Show and shared his honest opinion on the ongoing scenario. However, he shared some words of advice for the interim champion and said, “Yeah, I have a lot of love and respect for Tom Aspinall. But if I am Tom, I’m probably gonna be a little quieter. I think that he’s poking and he’s prodding and he’s trying to attack Jon Jones’s ego a lot bit and force Jon into this ego competition where Jon say’s ” I am not afraid of you. I am gonna go fight now”. Smith has the experience of fighting with Jones at UFC 235 and knows the kind of mind games ‘Bones’ plays.
He further added, “So, I understand that Tom Aspinall has this fighter mindset where he wants to say, I am better than you, and you think you’re better than me, and so I’m going to keep attacking that. Jon doesn’t care about any of that. The person who cares the least in every negotiation wins. Jon Jones doesn’t care what Tom Aspinall wants and in fact wants to do the complete opposite of what Tom Aspinall wants.” Jones is currently in Thailand, busy filming the Russian Ultimate Fighter Knockoff, and during an Instagram live session, said, “I’ve got people in the chat calling me a duck. Meanwhile, I’m living my absolute best life. I don’t know if it’s considered ducking when you’re living good. I don’t think it works like that.” While he might be enjoying his time, one of his longtime rivals, Daniel Cormier, feels he is avoiding the fight with Aspinall for one reason.
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is afraid of Tom Aspinall feels Daniel Cormier
There’s no denying Jon Jones’ legacy in the sport—his résumé speaks for itself. But even with all he’s accomplished, it’s fair to say he’s never stood across from a threat quite like Tom Aspinall. This isn’t just another heavy hitter, Aspinall brings serious knockout power and the kind of speed and movement that’s rare in the heavyweight division. Add in his sharp takedown defense, and you’ve got a problem even a legend like Jones can’t overlook. Sure, most of Aspinall’s fights end before the clock hits three minutes. However, if his YouTube training footage is any indication, he’s more than just a fast finisher—he’s a real, looming danger.
Even former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier sees it that way—he’s convinced Jon Jones has no real interest in stepping into the cage with Tom Aspinall. During a recent video, the former dual-champion said, “I don’t know that [Jones] has gone through anyone like Aspinall, because Aspinall’s so big and young. That might be his only hesitancy. If I had to guess, I don’t think for a second Jon Jones is afraid of Tom Aspinall. The one thing Jon Jones has avoided that none of the other of us have is that visual of him getting finished.” Whether Jon Jones is truly afraid is up for debate. But one thing’s certain, Tom Aspinall has steamrolled every opponent put in front of him.
Given that kind of dominance, it’s not hard to understand why some believe Jones might be hesitant. Do you think Daniel Cormier is correct in his prediction? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Despite Dana White’s Guarantee, Tom Aspinall Gets a Warning on Attacking Jon Jones’ Ego to Force Fight Decision appeared first on EssentiallySports.