“Zero wins over legends Zero title defense” – Jon Jones claps back at Tom Aspinall for telling Dana White to strip the ‘GOAT’

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones claps back at interim champion Tom Aspinall for demanding that Jones should be stripped of his title.

“Zero wins over legends Zero title defense” – Jon Jones claps back at Tom Aspinall for telling Dana White to strip the ‘GOAT’

Tom Aspinall on Jon Jones (Image via Imago / X)

Jon Jones responded testily to Tom Aspinall‘s call for stripping his UFC heavyweight title. The champion found it ‘hilarious’ that Aspinall had urged Jones’s title strip after an injury.

Jon Jones dismissed the idea and found it amusing. He emphasized that it was the first time he saw such a request in his career. Taking to X, Jones wrote: 

Now I have newcomers requesting I get my championship stripped. Zero wins over legends, zero title defenses and already thinking you can call the shots to Dana, that’s hilarious. In my 15-year career, I have seen so many guys who are supposed to be the next big thing. There’s ever only been one Jon Jones, never forget that.
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Jon Jones recently suffered a torn pectoral tendon during training. This forced him to withdraw from his scheduled fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295. Consequently, UFC 295 missed out on Jones’ star power. Meanwhile, an interim title bout happened in his absence. Jones underwent surgery for the injury and apologized to Stipe Miocic for the withdrawal. The severity of the injury will likely sideline Jones well into 2024.

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Tom Aspinall won the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 295. He secured a first-round TKO victory over Sergei Pavlovich at Madison Square Garden. The fight lasted only 69 seconds. Aspinall’s victory marked him as the interim champion in the heavyweight division. He also earned the “Performance of the Night” accolade for his performance.

Dana White says Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic has to happen

Dana White rejected calls to strip Jon Jones of the UFC Heavyweight Title. He asserted that the planned fight against Stipe Miocic was still on track despite Tom Aspinall’s interim championship win.

Dana White
Dana White on Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic (Image via Imago)

Despite Jones’ recent withdrawal from a title bout due to injury, Dana White remained steadfast in maintaining Jones as the heavyweight champion. In a recent media day presser at UFC Austin, Dana White said: 

The Stipe fight has to happen. You know, both of those guys deserve it. Jon – you’ve got the greatest mixed martial artist of all time versus the greatest heavyweight of all time. And they’ve paid their dues, they’ve done the thing. These two wanna fight each other. It’s gonna happen.”

The Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic rivalry has garnered significant attention in the MMA community. Despite the cancellation, the matchup remains a focal point of discussion.

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