UFC legend baffled by ‘GOAT’ Jon Jones nitpicking contenders; urges him to step up and take on interim champ
Randy Couture advises heavyweight champion Jon Jones to cue in Tom Aspinall for unification after recent UFC 309 pay-per-view title defense.
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Randy Couture advises Jon Jones to fight Tom Aspinall (Source: X/IMAGO)
Heading into UFC 309, heavyweight champion Jon Jones was reluctant to do anything beyond his title fight with Stipe Miocic. After UFC 309, Jones is committing to a different tune. However, “Bones” took his string and played somewhat the same chords, not trying unification with Tom Aspinall. Legendary Randy Couture has some deep-seated ideas about that.
The 2024 PFL Finals take place Friday in Saudi Arabia. On Thursday, the fighters faced off one final time before their fight in Riyadh. UFC veteran Randy Couture now does play-by-play duties for the PFL. Before Riyadh, he sat down with UFC on TNT Sports media journo Adam Catterall to discuss Jon Jones and his constant unification snubs.
Jon Jones—as much as he doesn’t wanna fight Francis—is gonna have trouble avoiding that. Now he says he didn’t wanna fight Tom. I mean, why? You’re supposedly the GOAT. Step up and fight..I’m not in Jon’s head, so I couldn’t tell you. I think, you know, he needs to step up and fight…Tom has earned—earned a crack and deserves that
Randy Couture to Adam Catterall for talkSPORT (? : / @talksportmma)
Before “Bones” dismantled Miocic for a third-round TKO win at UFC 309 PPV, he spent fight week on a crusade. Mainly, he reasoned why Brit interim champ Tom Aspinall doesn’t deserve the attention as he has not done enough. On crossing him in a stitch about it, he demanded “fu*k you money” to face the dangerous Aspinall.
According to Randy Couture, enough is enough. He believed Jon Jones must face Aspinall or Francis Ngannou for his legacy, even if it requires co-promotion. The Cameroonian is yet another name that was in the running before his move up. However, he took about three years out due to bulking and failed contractual rehashing on it. For the sake of his legacy, ‘The Natural’ naturally advises otherwise.
Randy Couture urges Jon Jones to ‘step up’ to the plate and fight Tom Aspinall
Randy Couture would know a thing or two about missed opportunities and what-if fights of mammoth proportions. He beefed with UFC, Frank, and Lorenzo Fertitta, and the regime’s sweeping changes of fighters signing away their ancillary rights in perpetuity. Couture has seen shades of it in Ngannou, away from UFC.
‘The Predator’ could not put his perpetuity rights and MMA management freedom to the test as now he is the new Couture. Away from the grind, he crossed over the bank and won the Super Fight title (read fight highlights) at the PFL ‘Battle of the Giants’ pay-per-view.
Ngannou vs. Jones is far off for now despite Ngannou’s free reach. But Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall should come as default given the latter is the legitimate interim champ. In spite of Aspinall’s persistent comments, the heavyweight champion has openly refused to get involved. Former two-division UFC champ Couture advises him to lock in.
It calls into question where his heart’s at, …if he really has that motivation to continue to establish himself as a bonafide heavyweight and basically clean out the division and put an end to any of the naysaying on what’s going on with Jon…Step up. Clean out the division. Take on Aspinall. Put an exclamation point on it
Randy Couture to Inside Fighting’s (@inside.fighting) Mike Owens
Jones is widely regarded as the greatest fighter to ever step into the cage but he is just 2-0 in the division. He is also nowhere near the scope of having had the divisional lineal titles. Couture is of the opinion that Jones should “step up” and fight Aspinall without any “qualms.” That puts an end to any doubts and seals in G.O.A.T. talks more than his UFC 309 PPV win did.
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