UFC President Drops Huge News Regarding Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall as Timeframe Becomes Clearer For Title Fight
(Credit: BJPenn)
The UFC heavyweight division has vastly improved over the last five or six years, but one major question looms: Will Jon Jones ever fight Tom Aspinall? With UFC President Dana White hinting that the unification bout will be announced soon, fans are cautiously optimistic.
Jon Jones, the former light heavyweight kingpin and current UFC heavyweight champion, made a successful return to MMA in March 2023 by defeating Ciryl Gane for the vacant belt, following Francis Ngannou’s departure. Jones then defended the title once, brutally stopping Stipe Miocic back in November. But since then, his next move has been unclear, much to the frustration of fans and fighters alike.
Meanwhile, interim champion Tom Aspinall has been doing everything in his power to earn that shot. After quickly rising through the ranks with a dynamic mix of speed, power, and grappling, Aspinall claimed interim gold by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich. He recently avenged his only UFC loss by defeating Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, firmly cementing his claim to a unification bout.
The UFC Has Treated the Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall Situation Very Poorly
Back in April, Aspinall made some unwanted and frustrating history as he became the longest interim champion since belts existed in the UFC.
To put into context just how poorly the company has dealt with the heavyweight title headache, Jones has been heavyweight champion for 801 days. Tom Aspinall has held the interim for 549 days. That’s 68.5% of Jones’ reign there has been an interim titleholder. This is simply pathetic at this point.
As a matter of fact, even fellow heavyweight contenders have now had enough of Jones keeping the division hostage. Curtis Blaydes, the current number fifth ranked contender, said on his Instagram that Jones should be stripped of his title due to inactivity.
Jones Fires Back at Fans Who Claim He Is Ducking Aspinall
Jones has taken heat online, with many fans accusing him of ducking Aspinall. During a recent Instagram Live, as you can see from a previous embedded tweet, Jones fired back:
“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.”
But critics argue that Jones is deliberately avoiding the more dangerous challenge. Aspinall, unlike Gane or Miocic, is a younger, faster striker with a solid ground game and a proven track record against top-tier heavyweights. Some believe Jones’ push toward a potential superfight with Alex Pereira, a predominantly stand-up fighter, suggests he may be sidestepping the tougher, more well-rounded threat in Aspinall.
UFC President Dana White Shares Huge News Regarding Jones vs Aspinall
Despite the skepticism, Dana White recently reassured fans that the Jones vs Aspinall fight will happen:
“We’ll get Aspinall vs. Jones done… The heavyweight fight will happen. Just relax, I’ll announce that soon.”
According to recent chatter, October looks like the earliest potential date for the bout, assuming that both fighters are healthy. That gives the UFC time to properly promote what is arguably the biggest heavyweight fight in the history of MMA.
Highly reputable MMA journalist, Aaron Bronsteter believes the UFC have two options: either in Las Vegas in October, or Madison Square Garden in November. Well, here’s hoping…
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
Related Fighters & Stats
Get Ringside Updates
Fight announcements, results, and analysis delivered to your inbox. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.