“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,” Tom Aspinall said during his interview with High Performance, revealing his deep-rooted frustration over the stalled heavyweight unification bout against Jon Jones. The Brit is losing patience and is on the verge of taking an alternative route.
Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight unification bout would be the best fight of the year. Me, you, and even our grandma know it. But actually seeing this fight inside the Octagon feels like the UFC brass’s biggest challenge. It’s been over six months since ‘Bones’ defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 and stepped inside the cage. That delay has also kept Tom Aspinall from returning since he defended the interim title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 back in July 2024.
Maybe the viewers and Aspinall are growing exasperated, but UFC head honcho Dana White has assured us multiple times that this fight is happening. During the UFC 317 announcement video, White said, “I told you guys already, we’ll get Aspinall vs. Jones done. The heavyweight fight will happen. Just relax, I’ll announce that soon.” Since we’ve been waiting for that bombshell announcement.
Meanwhile, Jon Jones’s recent trip to Thailand, where he seemed to be enjoying life, has sparked questions about whether he actually wants to fight Aspinall, or worse, if he even wants to fight at all. Finally, Dana White offered some clarity. In an interview with MMA Pro’s Pick, the UFC head honcho said, “What was weird in Thailand? Like partying? He’s fighting. He’ll be fighting.” When the reporter asked, “2025?” Dana replied, “Yes!”
It’s not the announcement we were hoping for, but it’s definitely a positive step toward the superfight. 2025 is shaping up to be a huge year, with Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira at UFC 315, Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, and Islam Makhachev already vacating his belt to move up to welterweight for an epic showdown against Jack Della Maddalena. Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall, rumored for November at Madison Square Garden, would complete this stacked series of bangers.
However, doubts remain about why Jon Jones is delaying this fight. Among many voices, one of ‘Bones’ former opponents has raised an argument that might please the English audience but will strike a nerve with the heavyweight champion’s fans.
Daniel Cormier believes Jon Jones doesn’t want to become Tom Aspinall’s highlight
Not many people would deny what Jon Jones has achieved in the sport. But it’s also true that he’s never faced a threat quite like Tom Aspinall, someone who can genuinely hit like a truck! On top of that, Aspinall is agile and knows how to defend takedowns. At least, that’s what his YouTube training videos show us, since most of his fights end before the three-minute mark. So the danger he poses is real.
Former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier also believes that’s the case, and Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight Aspinall. During a recently uploaded video, Cormier 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.”
It’s hard to say whether Jon Jones is actually afraid, especially considering Tom Aspinall has dominated every opponent he’s faced so far. But Jones also battled intimidating fighters like Rampage Jackson during his prime. Ultimately, it’s difficult to know what’s going on inside the current heavyweight champion’s mind.
With that said, do you think we’ll actually see Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall this year? Or will someone else step up to challenge for the interim belt once again? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below.
The post With Tom Aspinall Ready to Move On, Dana White Forced to Keep Jon Jones Fight Hope Alive With Guarantee appeared first on EssentiallySports.