Frustrated Tom Aspinall Trolls UFC Over Jon Jones Saga: “Fighting For New Belt”

UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall shares a hilarious comment as he waits for the Jon Jones title bout.

Frustrated Tom Aspinall Trolls UFC Over Jon Jones Saga: “Fighting For New Belt”

Tom Aspinall jokes about fighting another fight instead of the Jon Jones one (via Imago)

Tom Aspinall has finally lost his patience after he has continued waiting for the heavyweight title unification bout for a long time. The undisputed champion Jon Jones has shown no interest in fighting the UK native while the UFC has promised the fight. However, constant delays and the lack of any official announcement have now allegedly affected Aspinall’s mental peace and emotional stability.

Recently, Aspinall beat the previous record of holding the UFC interim for the longest time without unifying it officially. As expected, the fighter isn’t proud of this achievement and feels he is wasting prime years without meaningful heavyweight title action. In a recent turn of events, the fighter hilariously commented about his future battle but it’s not for the undisputed title:

Sorry guys, I’m fighting for a new belt. Interim of the interim BMF UFC heavyweight title. Living my best life.

Instead of unifying the belt, Aspinall has already defended his interim championship once against Curtis Blaydes in dominant fashion. While there is no such thing as a BMF UFC heavyweight, the original BMF belt returns at UFC 318 soon. Max Holloway faces Dustin Poirier in a bout announced seamlessly, unlike the Jones vs. Aspinall fight filled with constant obstacles.

Aspinall has been chasing the Jones fight for over a year now, trying everything from mockery to online disputes. However, nothing has worked and now the UK native feels frustrated and helpless due to lack of support from the UFC. According to Aspinall, he is always ready for the fight but negotiation delays from Jones’ side keep causing frustrating setbacks.

UFC veteran coach believes Jon Jones should be stripped

Initially, Jon Jones avoided Tom Aspinall by claiming the young and hungry British fighter was being very disrespectful towards him. Later, when left with no options, Jones demanded six months of preparation time and a massive $30 million fight purse. However, there have been no updates since then regarding the fight, and the contract signing remains uncertain without any official confirmation.

Jon Jones should be stripped, says veteran coach
Jon Jones should be stripped, says veteran coach (via X)

As a result, many fans and UFC fighters have suggested stripping Jones to stop him from halting the heavyweight division. Recently, a public petition went viral where over 41,000 fans signed to strip Jones, but he remains unaffected by the pressure. Merab Dvalishvili’s coach, Ray Longo, recently discussed the ongoing situation during an episode of the Anik and Florian podcast.

I think he’s the type of guy, ‘I’m going to do what I want to do and I don’t give a f**k what you think’… That’s what he’s doing right now. He’s holding the power, and that’s how he’s decided to use it. The UFC can’t do anything. They should strip him of the title. I don’t think it’s fair to Tom Aspinall… He’ll be waiting for 15 years before he sees the title, is that right.

Jones has been in the UFC for a long time and has been the centre of various controversies including misdemeanor and PED usage. Despite all that, he was able to face the public outrage and has developed a thick skin to avoid criticism. On top of that, he understands the danger Aspinall, a young and powerful fighter brings to the table.

According to many experts, this delay and frustration is Jones’ way of getting the mental advantage over Aspinall. The fighter recently went viral talking about his potential retirement from the sport without fighting Aspinall. While it would be a big loss for UFC and the fans, it shouldn’t be surprising to see Jones protecting his legacy.