“If x and y walk into a room and fight, only Jon Jones comes out alive“…”Jon Jones is the best of all time“. It’s all meaningless statements if the UFC undisputed heavyweight champion refuses to fight the promotion’s interim champion. And as such, the interim champion, Tom Aspinall is getting a bit sore from hearing it, especially from UFC president, Dana White.
Having won and already defended the UFC interim heavyweight title, Aspinall should technically already be the undisputed champion. ”Them’s the rules!’, as the kids say.
However, Jones has decided to overlook Aspinall and take on Stipe Miocic upon his return and refuses to even acknowledge the Brit.
So frustrated by the UFC boss calling Jones calling him the GOAT and showering him with other medals, Aspinall sent a message that is sure to ring in their ears for some time.
“Dana White saying he’s the GOAT and the P4P #1. If I fight Jon Jones and beat him, he still has to be the P4P, you can’t start saying he’s old…If he’s the P4P GOAT or whatever, keep the same energy when I beat him.”
Do note, that Aspinall used the words ‘when’ I beat him, not if. He’s been using when since the two met an event months ago and Aspinall tried to put his hands on Jones’ shoulder only for the champion to push it away because he perceived it as disrespectful.
According to ‘Bones‘, the interim champ does not have anything to offer him. So he would rather fight light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira instead.
Ducking allegations gain steam as Jones picks Poatan
Jones doesn’t view Aspinall as competition enough to even consider fighting him. Yesterday, the Rochester native made it clear that he didn’t believe Aspinall had done nearly enough to warrant a fight with him.
Jones is essentially doubling down on his statement that if he did fight again, it would not be against Aspinall. The only other fight that entices him at the moment is a showdown with Pereira.
In a recent interview with NY Post Sports on YouTube, the UFC heavyweight champion stressed it further and said:
“I find him annoying….he has no real stand out legacy, I think the only guy he beat was Andrei Arlovski and Andrei was very old at the time…He really has nothing that entices me.”\
Jones is wrong, of course. Aspinall holds the interim title belt and until he loses it to Jones himself, the heavyweight division in the UFC has no undisputed champion. And fans have been letting him know as much.
https://t.co/nVJLoAhnqu pic.twitter.com/BbJpawohyH
— DARCHIBALD (@whatthepickle38) November 8, 2024
Other fans have used their words to echo the sentiment and said, “Just say you’re ducking Tom Aspinall & move on bro. Get real”.This fan really let ‘Bones’ have it and said, “If this isn’t ducking then idk what is. Having to explain why you won’t fight the interim champ and instead fight a guy who hasn’t fought in 4 years at 43… legacy would be secured 100% if you beat Tom and retired haha“.
Of course, if only there was a company-wide mechanism that made undisputed champs fight interim champs, this discussion could be tabled for them. If only.
