Jon “Bones” Jones defeated former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic with a spinning back kick in the third round of UFC 309. Jones’ first title defense at heavyweight was successful, and he has proved again that he is one of the greatest fighters ever to enter the UFC Octagon.
Jones has 16 total title wins, with 14 at light heavyweight and two at heavyweight. But in the build-up to this fight, everyone talked about one person: the Interim Heavyweight Champion, Tom Aspinall.
Will Jon Jones fight Tom Aspinall?
Although Jones is the current heavyweight king, a title may have never been more disputed. After Jones injured his pec last November, the UFC needed someone to step up.
The pride of Manchester, England, Aspinall answered the call and faced Sergei Pavlovich in an interim title fight at UFC 295 in November 2023. Without a real training camp, Aspinall knocked Pavlovich out in the first round. Then Aspinall defended his interim title at UFC 304 in July, where he knocked out Curtis Blaydes in the first round.
Aspinall is arguably Jones’ greatest challenger in his illustrious career. Like Jones, Aspinall is an incredibly well-rounded fighter. Aspinall’s 15 career wins have all come by finish. He is 8-1 in his UFC career, with seven first-round finishes. The only fight Aspinall lost in the UFC was to Curtis Blaydes when he suffered an injury.
Jones has shown throughout his career that he will fight anyone and everyone. But that was when he was a young rising star at light heavyweight. Jones is 37 years old and doesn’t seem as willing to test himself at the highest level as he once was.
Jones continued to state that he would fight Aspinall if the price were right. He said that he would walk away if the UFC didn’t give him what he wanted. Many people on social media and in the MMA community have called Jones a duck, saying he is ducking Aspinall and won’t fight him. Jones has played into the joke by changing his profile picture on Instagram, as you can see below.
It was for different reasons, but the last time Jones had a tough opponent on the horizon with Francis Ngannou, it didn’t come to fruition. The UFC wants to make the fight, and Aspinall is on board. The ball is in Jones’ court. Does he want to continue to add to his legacy, or will he refuse to face his toughest test?
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