Jon Jones fight drama gets backlash from Tom Aspinall father as heavyweight division gets stalled

UFC heavyweight interim champion Tom Aspinall's father slams Jon Jones for constant delay and inactivity as the undisputed champion.

Jon Jones fight drama gets backlash from Tom Aspinall father as heavyweight division gets stalled

Tom Aspinall's father doesn't like to wait around for the Jon Jones fight (via Imago)

The UFC heavyweight division has remained stagnant for months, causing frustration and impatience throughout the entire MMA community. With no official updates about Jon Jones’ next title defense, the UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has finally lost his patience. All the current drama, frustration, and blame are being directed towards the UFC for failing at efficient negotiations.

Aspinall has been demanding a title unification bout for over a year, but Jones has continuously avoided the tough UK native. The UFC had promised Aspinall his rightful title match opportunity, but the continuous delay is now negatively affecting him and his loyal team. Recently, Aspinall’s father and trainer, Andy Aspinall, publicly discussed the frustrating situation and heavily criticized Jones’ delay.

It’s stupid. I have no idea the reason why the UFC don’t want Tom to fight anybody else other than Jon Jones. ‘Stay tuned’. That’s the message they wanted Tom to give out to people… we’re in April now, still waiting for him to say ‘I’ll have a fight’ or ‘I’ll not have a fight’. I don’t really understand that. He’s a fighter who should be having fights. Why’s he still sat around not giving an answer as to whether he’s gonna fight or not.

Andy Aspinall via Tom Aspinall’s YouTube channel 

Andy voiced frustration about the financial strain caused by Aspinall’s inactivity during what should be his prime earning years. He explained that, as a coach, he disliked seeing Aspinall training hard every day without any scheduled fight opportunity. Andy emphasized that Aspinall wasn’t even being offered fights against anyone else, leaving him completely sidelined without any clear direction.

He added that even if an opponent was offered, fighting someone ranked lower would not make sense strategically or financially. UFC CEO Dana White has often talked positively about this matchup and has assured that it would take place. However, the lack of clarification has started to backfire a bit for the promotion.

UFC veteran predicts Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones potential fight 

Jon Jones is widely considered the GOAT, boasting the most title defenses and unmatched skills across every aspect of MMA. He has dominated opponents for over a decade, showcasing superior striking, grappling, and fight IQ against the best in history. However, time eventually catches up with every great champion, and Jones’ advancing age is now becoming a serious factor.

Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones prediction
Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones prediction (via X)

Tom Aspinall’s explosive speed and devastating power could potentially be the key to finally defeating the ‘GOAT’ Jones. This has remained a constant narrative through the build-up, which might be the reason why Jones is avoiding Aspinall. Former UFC champion and GOAT candidate, Georges St-Pierre, recently talked about it and said something similar about the match-up. 

If I have to choose someone in his prime that I put in the Colosseum hand-to-hand, I think it would be Jon Jones. It’s hard to deny that. However, nobody beats time. Tom Aspinall is on a hell of a run now. As a fan I want to see this fight… But I think Tom is very hungry and it’s up to Jon to see if he still wants to do this and if the UFC can compensate him because I think he deserves it.

Georges St-Pierre via BloodyElbow 

Following his heavyweight title defense at UFC 309, Jones had plans to fight the former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. However, those plans got ruined after the Brazilian faced a devastating loss at UFC 313, leaving Jones with no other options. ‘Bones’ previously mentioned that he needed six months to prepare for Aspinall, but nobody knows when it will start. 

Jones has always been extremely cautious about his UFC legacy, and fighting Aspinall is a huge gamble. A potential loss could hamper his decorated career, something he doesn’t wanna ruin. There are reports about Jones asking for over $30 million to take that risk, but, nothing is solid till now.

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