UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is not fighting the undisputed champion Jon Jones against the grain. Instead he is fighting another contender, while the champion is looking to fight a former champion who isn’t even in the top 5. However, UFC veteran Daniel Cormier believes if Aspinall wins the fight, it could push for a title unification match.
Jones has been getting all kinds of flak from fans for not giving the Brit the opportunity to fight for the undisputed title. To say Aspinall deserves the title shot would be an understatement as he kept the division moving as its face while Jones was out for over a year.
So in a recent YouTube video uploaded to his channel, DC spoke about remedying the situation:
“If Tom Aspinall can get through this match or this fight, and he’s clean, and he looks dominant, there may be such a fan uprising that the UFC may have to be forced to make Jones vs. Aspinall.”
The Brit is set to fight Blaydes at UFC 305 on July 27th and will look to defend his interim title in front of his home crowd. Cormier believes that if he wins that fight, he may get a title shot next, meaning, the UFC could be forced to reconsider their stance.
After UFC 295, Jon Jones will have fought three of the last four heavyweight champions
Daniel Cormier 2018-19
Stipe Miocic 2019-21
Ciryl Gane (interim) 2021-22 pic.twitter.com/7gTtvvMZCM— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 8, 2023
At the same time, DC has also defended the organization’s decision to pursue the Jones vs. Stipe fight for one simple reason.
Jones vs Miocic is for legacy
‘DC’ knows how the UFC works, and how they make fights. The number one metric to make a fight is fan interest, the more the interest in a fight is, the more likely it is to happen.
And Jones and Miocic have proven they are the brightest stars in the division for well over a decade. And this fight is what will probably cement their legacies as the GOAT of the division.
For Jones, this very well might be his last fight and for Stipe, it’s an opportunity to etch his name as the Goliath slayer.
Keeping this in mind, Cormier spoke about why the UFC is still after the Jones vs. Miocic fight,
“If they did not feel that there was value in this fight, then they would move on. They’re not moving on because there is value in this fight.”
So, for the UFC to even consider Aspinall vs Jones before Stipe, that too this late into the year would be highly unlikely. That said, MMA is a funny game and you never know who breaks their toe and when.
