Tom Aspinall, interim heavyweight champion, finds himself as the top contender in his division following a victorious performance at UFC 304. Despite what seems like the next logical step—a title bout against reigning champion Jon Jones—Aspinall is not convinced that such a matchup will happen anytime soon. Here’s what came to play.
During an appearance on the Believe You Me Podcast, Aspinall opened up to Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith, making bold assertions about Jon Jones. According to Aspinall, he could “retire Jon Jones without even fighting him.”
“And ever since I won that fight, he’s gone silent. He’ll keep quiet until he retires, because there’s no chance in this world he’ll fight me. No way. I’ll retire Jon Jones without ever stepping in the octagon with him,” Aspinall stated.
Aspinall also voiced frustration over being overlooked despite his dominance in the octagon. In July, he successfully defended his interim title by swiftly knocking out Curtis Blaydes, avenging a previous loss due to injury in their first meeting. This time, Aspinall took just under a minute to finish Blaydes.
Aspinall expressed his belief that Jones was hoping for his defeat and accused the UFC of deliberately avoiding a fight between them. He criticized Jones for prioritizing a bout with Stipe Miocic, asserting that he is the best heavyweight but remains underappreciated.
Aspinall also made strong remarks regarding the UFC holding the heavyweight title “hostage.” He criticized Dana White for excessively promoting Jon Jones while delaying their potential fight. Aspinall questioned why, if Jones is as great as claimed, a matchup with him is being stalled.
For now, Jones is focused on his upcoming fight with Miocic, while Dana White has suggested Aspinall could face the winner—if neither retires afterward—adding intrigue to this looming heavyweight clash.