Daniel Cormier Rips Jon Jones: He’s Afraid Tom Aspinall Will Knock Him Out Cold

Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

The UFC heavyweight division continues to stall under the reign of Jon Jones, whose prolonged absence from the Octagon has sparked frustration among fans, analysts, and even fellow fighters.

With interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall still awaiting a unification bout, questions are mounting over whether the UFC’s most dominant light heavyweight-turned-heavyweight champion is simply delaying the inevitable.

Since winning the vacant heavyweight belt in March 2023 against Ciryl Gane, Jon Jones has defended his title just once, at the back end of 2024 where he easily dealt with Stipe Miocic (which we knew would happen because he hasn’t won a fight for around four years). 

Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall, who claimed the interim championship with a devastating first-round KO of Sergei Pavlovich in November 2023, has now held that status for over 549 days, a new and unwanted UFC record for interim title duration. By comparison, Jones has reigned for around 800 days, meaning almost a staggering 70% of his time as champion has been shared with an interim titleholder.

Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane is Becoming Increasingly More Likely

Din Thomas, former UFC fighter and current analyst, recently floated the idea of Aspinall fighting Gane if negotiations with Jones continue to stall. It’s a proposal that shouldn’t even be on the table as Aspinall has already defended his interim title, against Curtis Blaydes, which shouldn’t have happened in the first place. 

So if the UFC ask the Englishman to defend his interim belt for a second time then many will protest this decision.

Fellow Heavyweight’s Voice Concern Over Jones Keeping the Belt Hostage

The frustration isn’t just among analysts. Even top-ranked heavyweight contenders are voicing their discontent. Curtis Blaydes, currently ranked at number five, recently stated on Instagram that Jones should be stripped of the title due to inactivity.

Blaydes isn’t alone in his thinking. The MMA community have increasingly accused Jones of “ducking” Aspinall. During a recent Instagram Live, Jones addressed the critics:

“I’ve got people in the chat calling me a ‘duck.’ Meanwhile, I’m living my absolute best life. I don’t know if it’s considered ducking when you’re living good. I don’t think it works like that.”

Daniel Cormier Fires Shots at Jon Jones

UFC Hall of Famer and Jones’ former bitter rival Daniel Cormier added fuel to the fire with a blunt assessment of why Jones might be avoiding Aspinall:

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“With [Tom] Aspinall, he can potentially get knocked out. Legitimately knocked out and put on his back, out cold. I don’t think he wants to have that visual of him in the world.”

Cormier is correct. Aspinall’s speed, power, and well-rounded skill set present a serious threat to Jones, who has not faced a legitimate heavyweight of Aspinall’s calibre.

Jones himself has admitted how deeply tied his identity is to winning. In an interview with VicBlends, he said:

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“I’m so connected to winning, it’s not healthy… If I were to ever lose I’d be devastated, angry, upset, I would be depressed.”

Those words only add fuel to the theory that Jones’ hesitation is rooted in fear of losing his aura of invincibility against Aspinall. Meanwhile, Dana White continues to claim that the fight will happen – he’s part of the problem. Strip Jones, and then make Aspinall vs Gane for the full title.

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