Tom Aspinall Is a Tougher Puzzle for Jon Jones to Solve Than Alex Pereira, Feels Javier Mendez

The Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall matchup feels inevitable — two supremely skilled heavyweights on a collision course. But as with many high-profile fights, various factors, expected and unexpected, act as deterrents. Caught between injuries, timing, and shifting priorities of the champion, the bout has yet to materialize.

AKA coach Javier Mendez believes it’s also because Jones is still betting all his money on Alex Pereira. In the lead-up to his UFC 309 fight against Stipe Miocic last November, the heavyweight champion turned his gaze toward a blockbuster clash with the Brazilian, who was reigning supreme as the light heavyweight king at the time.

It’s a fight that would, no doubt, generate huge buzz (and big pay-per-view numbers). But not everyone is buying into that. The number of naysayers has grown since Pereira lost his belt to Magomed Ankalaev last month.

According to Mendez, there’s a reason Jones is more eager to fight Pereira — and it’s not just the money. In Mendez’s eyes, Pereira is a much easier stylistic matchup for ‘Bones’.

“There’s a lot that goes into it. Like, when Aspinall was calling for the fight, Jon was kind of brushing it off,” Mendez explained in an episode of his podcast.

He had his eyes on Pereira — that’s who he really wanted. But then Pereira didn’t win, so now Jon’s back at square one. He was banking on Pereira moving up to heavyweight,” he added. 

Mendez broke this down further, saying that Pereira’s rather monotonous fighting style would be a handicap against Jones.

“He’d take that fight in a heartbeat — it’s a great matchup for him. 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,” elaborated the coach. 

“Sure, if you throw a big paycheck at him, he’ll take the fight. But with Aspinall, it’s more about doing it the right way. He wants the time to get ready for a challenge like that,” he added, finding logic in Jones asking for six months to prepare for Aspinall. 

It also doesn’t help that Aspinall has only fought for under 41 minutes in the 18 professional MMA fights he’s had in his career. So, there’s no knowledge about his weaknesses or strengths that Jones can work on.

In the midst of all this, UFC boss Dana White has shared some positive updates with the fans.

White on Jones vs. Aspinall 

White is doing his best to calm the storm around what could be the biggest UFC fight of 2025.

Ever since Jones stopped Miocic last November, fans have been waiting for an official announcement. But five months on, Aspinall has made it clear he’s getting bored of the wait.

Still, White isn’t sweating it. While in England, ahead of UFC London, he addressed the elephant in the room.

“The fight’s going to happen,” said White. “It’s just a matter of when, and getting it signed and done.”

White insisted there’s no behind-the-scenes drama or logistics holding things up. It’s more about tying up the fine details before they can make it official.

“It’s done, but not done enough to sit here and give you a date,” he added, asking fans to be patient.

While a specific date has yet to be announced, White’s assurance is expected to create a wave of excitement among fans.