Joe Rogan admits having doubts about Jon Jones ‘GOAT’ status
UFC commentator Joe Rogan casts doubts on GOAT Jon Jones and his longstanding pound-for-pound best argument.
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Joe Rogan put an asterisk on Jon Jones and his GOAT status (Source: IMAGO)
Jon Jones is arguably the GOAT of MMA with his ginormous title stats and battle acumen. However, ‘Bones’ has had a colored history and often finds himself in pools of troubles for those. Some of his fights also did not have dominant finishes. There’s also the multi-year narrative that Jones ducks top tough names. Given all that, Joe Rogan is not sure he can post him as the GOAT at every time.
For now, interim champion Tom Aspinall has eagerly waited for his unification-bout. Jon Jones also never had a smooth reign, unlike other names. Getting caught for PEDs, his DUI arrests, a rivalry with Daniel Cormier going physical; it was always trouble. Many old rivals still poke the fact that ‘Bones’ didn’t sweep the floor with them like he’d like to tout. Hence, Joe Rogan has had his seeds of doubt.
I like to look at it [pound-for-pound best] I say who had the highest expression of martial arts excellence during their prime, …like what I don’t mean the entire career. I don’t mean now I mean when they were hot like when Anderson Silva was hot… How good was that was that better than anything that ever existed because I think it might have been…Jon Jones [though] has had some really close fights he’s had like split decision fights he’d won.
Joe Rogan on the ‘JRE’ ##2239 – PowerfulJRE (@joerogan)
Then, there was the case of Dominick Reyes, who lost a controversial decision to ‘Bones’ at UFC 247, but many had billed he did enough to get the nod. Subsequently, Reyes isn’t the only case. Jones can credit 10 decisions and a DQ along with his 11-0 KO/TKO and 7 submissions.
This was a big driver in fans and analysts wanting a pure skills test against Aspinall. Jones isn’t always all-invincible, making quick work of rivals. To an extent, 42-year-old Stipe Miocic landed many strikes on Jones in the second round of their UFC 309 bout. This leads people to question what Aspinall could do.
The British heavyweight is indomitable. Per statleaders.ufc.com (UFC Record Book), Aspinall touts the shortest average fight time, shortest bottom position, and 2nd highest knockdown average per minute. He usually gets it done within the first frame, which is why a test against Jones is all the more interesting.
UFC legend shares ‘disrespectful’ take on Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall unification fight
Godfather of English MMA – Michael Bisping – is confident Aspinall can solve the Jon Jones puzzle – quite easily, actually. Analysts like Bisping, Joe Rogan, and others are all-praise for the GOAT. But according to DraftKings Sportsbooks, Aspinall is currently a small -130 favorite on the prop to win the affair.
Outside of a DQ vs. Matt Hamill very early on, +110 underdog Jones has never lost in his career. But that does not deviate from the challenge that Aspinall is. The interim champ could be the perfect deterrent to the GOAT, win or not. Hence, Bisping gives his controversial takes and agrees with the oddsmakers on the money line:
And he should be [underdog], …Listen, Jon Jones is great, and you can’t deny what he’s done in the octagon, the career that he’s had, and he’s technically unbeaten. However, everyone meets their match eventually. I think Tom Aspinall is the new generation, he’s the new breed, and he will go down probably as the greatest mixed martial artist that we’ve ever had. He’s elite as a heavyweight.
Michael Bisping in an interview with Carl Froch
The British heavyweight star is fresh off a first-round TKO of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, last Juky. Aspinall’s last five victories have come via first-round KO, and 14 of his 15 pro wins have come in the first round. Bisping went so far as to say that Jones would suffer somewhat the same fate.
Jones has asked for a six-month pre-fight camp period and a “f—k you” amount in compensation for the unification. There’s also a rumor that while in prep, Jon Jones would surpass Stipe Miocic’s record of holding the strap in about 28 days more.
This led to some fearing that he isn’t prepping for the challenge but rather stalling for a legacy bow out. All in all, it only puts more stock into Aspinall’s name. Where the Team Jackson’s MMA Acoma fighter goes from here is anybody’s guess.
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