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Tom Aspinall, the rising star in the UFC heavyweight division, has shared his thoughts on Jon Jones' apparent reluctance to face him in the Octagon, suggesting that Jones is strategically avoiding any public commitment to a fight.
The backstory to this potential matchup stems from Aspinall's rise in the heavyweight ranks. Last November, Jones was slated to defend his UFC heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295. Still, an injury derailed the fight, leading to Aspinall stepping in on short notice to claim the interim heavyweight title against Sergei Pavlovich in just 69 seconds.
Since then, Aspinall has been vocal about his desire for a title unification bout with Jones. However, Jones has remained non-committal, leading to a brief but headline-making encounter between the two at the Arnold Sports Festival in Birmingham, England.
Reflecting on this encounter, Aspinall stated,
"Jon's smart, you know? He won't say anywhere publicly that he will fight me. He won't say it. He doesn't want any evidence, anywhere, of him agreeing to any kind of fight with me because he doesn’t want to go back on that."
Aspinall further highlighted that Jones avoided a faceoff with him, which Aspinall believes was a deliberate move to avoid promoting a potential fight.
While Jones seems focused on a potential matchup with Miocic later this year, the uncertainty surrounding his fighting career, including legal troubles and controversies, adds layers of complexity to any future matchups.
Aspinall maintains a pragmatic approach, stating,
"Honestly, I don’t spend my days thinking about Jon Jones. That fight doesn’t define my career... If we fight, great. If we don’t, great as well."
The potential clash between Aspinall and Jones remains an intriguing storyline in the UFC heavyweight division, with fans eagerly awaiting any developments regarding this matchup.