Tom Aspinall has made it clear—his goal isn’t necessarily to beat Jon Jones but to dethrone whoever holds the undisputed UFC heavyweight title. Right now, that just happens to be ‘Bones’ himself. While fans eagerly await a potential clash between the English phenom and the reigning champ, Aspinall has pointed the finger at Jones, claiming the GOAT contender is the one holding up the matchup. But is that the case? Is Jones avoiding Aspinall? Some fans seem to think so. But not everyone’s buying into that narrative—especially not Team Khabib’s head coach, Javier Mendez. In a surprising revelation, the AKA head honcho has come out in support of Jones, backing the champ and dismissing the idea that he’s ducking the interim titleholder.
It’s no secret that Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov used to hold Jones in high regard. He once called the 28-1 legend’s talent a ‘gift from God’. But he’s not the only one in the Dagestani circle who shares that sentiment regarding ‘Bones’. Mendez has also come out to claim that there is no challenge that Jones cannot overcome. He recalled how the 38-year-old once refused the offer to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC 151 way back in 2012 when the latter stepped in as a replacement for Dan Henderson. There was confusion among MMA enthusiasts with Jones’s refusal to fight Sonnen, who was considered an easy opponent for him.
Even Dana White criticized Jones and his Jackson Wink MMA camp for not fighting Sonnen, claiming that his coach Greg Jackson advised him that this could have been a “mistake.” But the now-undisputed champ would take his time, and the duo would get paired up for ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen’ and they fought each other at the culmination of the show. As expected, Jones proved that his employer was wrong and found his way to victory against ‘The American Gangster’. Similarly, Mendez claimed that the consensus greatest of all time has all the right to take his time and become the version he needs to be before stepping up to Tom Aspinall.
“He wants to win. He does everything he can to win. He’s a perfectionist. This guy will do everything he can to win. He’s a winner. He knows how to win, and he’ll do certain things that maybe are not ethical or unethical just so he can win,” Javier Mendez stated on his YouTube podcast, ‘Javier & Mo Show’. “If he’s not fighting Tom Aspinall when they want him to fight, is because he’s not going to. It had nothing to do with ‘I’m older and he’s younger’. He needs to be properly prepared for what he’s gonna bring to the table, and he wants to absolutely crush Tom.”
For the first time in a while, a juggernaut has emerged for Jones in the form of Tom Aspinall, with many people leaning towards the interim champion to beat the undisputed champion when and if they fight. However, the AKA head honcho isn’t too sure about that prediction because Jones, according to him, makes very calculated moves, and that’s the way he’s operated his entire life.
“You can’t change him, you can’t change his mind. He’s been that way for years… I don’t blame him because why should he go and rush and become somebody he’s not? He needs to be who he is, who he has been. He’s been a winner his whole life,” Javier Mendez added.
March 4, 2023, Las Vegas, NV, LAS VEGAS, NV, USA: LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 4: Jon Jones prepares to fight Ciryl Gane in their Heavyweight fight during the UFC 285 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 4, 2023, in Las Vegas, NV, USA. Las Vegas, NV USA – ZUMAp175 20230304_zsa_p175_246 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
But one question remains! Why is there such a long holdup if Jon Jones can ‘crush’ Tom Aspinall? Well, Javier Mendez also has an answer for that as well, while drawing a comparison between the interim champion and former light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira. Here’s what he had to say.
Tom Aspinall is ‘tricky’ for Jon Jones, claims Team Khabib’s head coach
Tom Aspinall has blazed his way into the UFC heavyweight title picture, carrying a 100 percent finish rate and an average fight duration of just over two minutes. It’s a testament to his speed, agility, and power, making Javier Mendez believe that he won’t be an easy puzzle to solve for Jon Jones, unlike Alex Pereira, whose size for competing in the heavyweight division has been up for debate. As such, ‘Bones’ might need a little bit more time, which might irritate fans, so that he gets his tactics right for Aspinall.
“Pereira didn’t win, so now Jon’s back at square one. He was banking on Pereira moving up to heavyweight. He’d take that fight in a heartbeat—it’s a great matchup for him,” Javier Mendez further stated. “But with Aspinall, it’s different. That’s a tricky fight. Stylistically, it’s more complicated, so Jon probably wants more time to prepare for that one.”
Well, there are always two sides to a coin, and while some have shown a bit of disappointment with Jon Jones for not fighting Tom Aspinall already, others have taken the undisputed champ’s side, just like Javier Mendez. Which side are you on? Drop your comments below.
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