Wanna hear something fascinating yet grim? Since winning the heavyweight title at UFC 285, Jon Jones has reigned as the ‘undisputed’ kingpin for 801 days. Whereas Tom Aspinall has held the interim strap for 549 days since winning it at UFC 295. That is almost 68.5% of Jones’ reign during which there has been an interim title holder. And with no official date set for the unification bout, this timeline is bound to get crazier!
“Yeah, I’ll say 100 percent [that it happens in 2025]. I think it’s probably the biggest fight in heavyweight history, and it’s massive in the history of the company, too. It’s a big fight,” said Dana White, hyping up a potential unification showdown between Jones and Aspinall. But while the UFC boss sounds confident, reality paints a murkier picture. Despite the buzz, verbose analyst Chael suggested that the promotion is leaning toward booking Aspinall against Ciryl Gane instead, especially with Jones currently in Thailand, tied up with a new MMA reality show.
So, does this mean the long-awaited clash between Aspinall and Jones may never materialize? Former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub has stepped in to share his thoughts. While speaking with his audience on the ‘Thiccc Boy’ podcast, Schaub read an article suggesting that Aspinall is growing bored of waiting and, with no fights lined up, is ready to accept whatever the UFC throws at him.
As he read the article, ‘Big Brown’ made a sarcastic face and hinted that Jon Jones might not fight Aspinall anytime soon. “Well, seeing John hold that dude’s Jerry curl on the back of the moped probably lets you know, before you even talk to Mick Mayard, yeah, we are gonna get Ciryl Gane and Aspinall. It’s such a shame,” said Schaub. Well, the podcaster seems to be moving away from Dana White’s own words.
How so? Recently, the UFC CEO stated during an Instagram Live session that the fight between Jones and Aspinall would ‘certainly happen,’ speaking with clear optimism.“I told you guys already, we’ll get Aspinall vs Jones done. The heavyweight fight will happen. Just relax, I’ll announce that soon.” The UFC CEO is optimistic, but the reality is quite the opposite!
Tom Aspinall with post-event media during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Etihad Campus, SportCity, Manchester, England on 27 July 2024. Copyright: xAndyxRowlandx PMI-6350-0004
So, is Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall completely done for, or are we going to witness the fight? Schaub is not the only UFC insider who has ascertained that the Briton will be sharing the stage with Gane.
The news was first broken by Chael Sonnen, who asserted that his sources had confirmed the ongoing talks about the fight. Additionally, former UFC fighter and coach Din Thomas echoed the same claim. Well, what is the reality about the clash? Let us hear it from Tom Aspinall himself.
Tom Aspinall provides an update on Jon Jones’ situation
“I’m well bored of [the Jones conversation]. I’ve had enough. We either need to fight, or I need to move on to something else,” said Tom Aspinall in his conversation with High Performance Podcast. The Interim heavyweight champion has been calling out Jones for a long time now, but there’s been an absolute silence from his side. Other than that, Jones’ decision to participate as a coach for the MMA reality show in Thailand appeared to be a total mockery of the situation.
Aspinall broke down why Jones might be hell-bent on not fighting him, “I just think that he’s like 37, 38 years old, but not only that, he’s got like a million miles on the clock. He’s got a lot of damage on the body, he’s taking a lot of shots to the head, and that’s not me saying anything negative about it. That’s the reality of it, and I’m sure Jon Jones is aware of that.”
He further added, “When you put him in with a guy of my size who has them credentials at this stage in his career, I think Jon’s a smart guy and realizes that, so he wants to be compensated financially for it.” Tom Aspinall’s assessment might be true considering the fact how dominant he is inside the Octagon. Regardless, what’s your take on the hubbub? State your opinion in the comments below.
The post “Such a Shame” – Ex-UFC Fighter Lands Final Blow to Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall Despite Dana White’s Optimism appeared first on EssentiallySports.
