After exhausting every tactic—from verbal challenges to physical jabs—to persuade UFC reigning heavyweight champion Jon Jones to step into the cage with him, interim champion Tom Aspinall visibly shows his frustration. Despite his efforts to secure a unification bout for the heavyweight title, ‘Bones’ remains preoccupied, currently spending his time in Thailand filming an AFL reality show. Frustration mounting, the Englishman has now taken to meme attacks against Jones on social media.
And it’s understandable—Tom Aspinall holds the interim title and recently shattered the record for most consecutive heavyweight title defenses, surpassing Renan Barao’s decade-old mark by holding the belt for over 500 days. Even with Dana White reassuring fans to “just relax” and insisting the super-fight between Jon Jones and Aspinall is “100%” making progress, there’s little sign of it happening anytime soon. ‘Bones last fought in the Octagon eight months ago againt Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 .
Meanwhile, the New Mexican native’s next project—a martial arts seminar at Bangtao Muay Thai in Thailand—is already underway. This prompted Tom Aspinall to mock Jon Jones by reposting a viral clip showing Jones riding a scooter on the back of Russian MMA fighter Zalimkhan Yusupov in Thailand. Later, the Brit took another jab involving Dana White with a YouTube clip where his face was edited onto someone saying, “I am the interim champion, want to fight me?” while ‘Bones’ is seen running away down the street.
Tom Aspinall just posted this on YouTube
@AspinallMMA #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/ox5JgIlA6E
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 29, 2025
Reported by Championship Round on X, fans remain split—some criticize Tom Aspinall’s desperate antics, while others accuse Jon Jones of “ducking” the interim champ. Meanwhile, Dana White’s control over his multi-billion-dollar UFC empire is also being questioned. Let’s see what the fans have to say more.
Fans reacted as Tom Aspinall once again threw a jab at Jon Jones
Earlier this year, UFC CEO Dana White made a clear statement to the MMA world: there will be no more double champions. Fighters will no longer be allowed to hold two belts at once, a move aimed at preventing divisions from stagnating and helping the sport evolve.
Yet, it’s been nearly a year and a half since UFC 295, when the heavyweight division saw two champions—Jon Jones as the undisputed champion and Tom Aspinall holding the interim title. ‘Bones’s prolonged inactivity has complicated matters for the promotion, fueling concerns that the heavyweight division is struggling. Fans are increasingly questioning Dana White’s leadership. As one fan put it, “I’d argue all of this should have us pointing fingers at Dana. This all makes Dana look weak and not in charge.”
Dana White’s control over the UFC is under scrutiny, especially since Jon Jones has long been viewed as White’s favorite fighter. Earlier this year, White even named Jones the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter before retracting that endorsement and instead elevating Islam Makhachev to the top spot. Meanwhile, some fans have praised Tom Aspinall’s use of memes to get under the American’s skin. One remarked, “Honestly this is what he should be doing instead of being all ‘Oh you know, I have a great deal of respect for Jon’ and whatnot. Just annoy him and Dana until you get an answer.”
Frustration over Jon Jones’s behavior is mounting. More than 100,000 fans worldwide have signed an online petition calling for him to be stripped of his heavyweight title. In response, ‘Bones’ dismissed the petition with a cryptic remark: “the equivalent to pico grams,” suggesting he still intends to compete in the UFC. Despite hinting at retirement several times, he has repeatedly reversed his stance. One fan warned, “Unfortunately he will run away from this fight!!!” Meanwhile, another fan showed support for the Brit, declaring, “Tom is cooking.”
The MMA community remains divided on why Jon Jones is avoiding Tom Aspinall. Many speculate it’s due to the Interim’s skill and youth—making him a hungry and dangerous challenger. Fans eagerly await the superfight, with one bluntly stating, “You getting cooked, coward bum. @JonnyBones.” Others have grown fed up with Jones’s inactivity, noting he’s only fought twice in the last two years. One frustrated fan said, “I’m getting really sick of this dude! Either fight somebody or STFU & go away. Please.”
As frustration mounts and there’s still no word on the fight, what’s your take on Dana White and the UFC’s inability to make the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall matchup happen? What do you think is stopping the promotion from booking this highly anticipated heavyweight showdown? Share your thoughts below.
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