The drawn-out saga between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall might lastly come to an finish quickly.
The extremely anticipated combat pitting champion in opposition to champion has been talked about for months, however there’s seemingly been no actual motion on really securing an settlement for Jones to face Aspinall someday in 2025. Jones, who holds the UFC heavyweight title, has hinted at each retirement and presumably returning to compete once more, whereas Aspinall, because the interim champion, has been anxiously awaiting his subsequent project after his final combat again in July 2024, when he knocked out Curtis Blaydes within the first spherical.
Now, UFC CEO Dana White says he expects to know for sure if Jones vs. Aspinall is going on or not very quickly, and if the matchup fails to materialize, he’s prepared to maneuver the division ahead in rapid-fire vogue.
“I don’t know, we’ll see how this factor performs out over the following couple weeks,” White instructed Jim Rome concerning Jones vs. Aspinall. “If we will’t get this combat performed, we’ll transfer on shortly. I mentioned a few weeks. We’ll have solutions within the subsequent couple weeks.”
Whereas awaiting phrase on whether or not or not he’ll get to face Jones subsequent, Aspinall went so far as saying the previous mild heavyweight champion was retired and he was wanting ahead to his subsequent problem as undisputed champion.
His frustration has continued to boil over as Aspinall waits on phrase about his future whereas nonetheless holding out hope that the UFC can e book him in opposition to Jones.
For his half, Jones claimed that he and Aspinall agreed to let the UFC make any bulletins concerning the proposed combat between them, however he hasn’t mentioned if a deal is imminent or if he’s doubtlessly considering retirement as a substitute.
One factor for sure: Jones isn’t operating scared from Aspinall.
“Pay attention, Jon Jones has been an attention-grabbing human being to take care of because the day he bought right here,” White mentioned. “However I’ll say this about him, you’d by no means hear me out speaking about he’s the GOAT and he’s this and he’s that if Jon Jones didn’t need to combat folks. Jon Jones has by no means ever mentioned ‘I’m afraid to combat this man’ or ‘I don’t like this combat for me’ or any of that stuff.
“One time, his coach on the time again within the day, I don’t know if he’s nonetheless with him or no matter — I believe it’s the one combat we ever cancelled, needed to cancel a present due to [this] — however he wouldn’t combat Chael Sonnen as a result of his coach thought it was a nasty concept to take that combat on late discover. Nevertheless it had nothing to do with Jon Jones. Jon Jones has by no means turned down an opponent right here or been afraid to combat anyone.”
The incident involving Jones and the combat cancellation passed off all the way in which again in 2012 when he was scheduled to defend his mild heavyweight title in opposition to Dan Henderson. Sadly, Henderson suffered an harm, and the UFC tried to exchange him with Sonnen.
Jones in the end handed on the combat, and with out the power to seek out an enough alternative for the principle occasion, the UFC cancelled the present.
It stays to be seen if Jones goes to in the end cross on dealing with Aspinall, however White appears assured he’ll have a solution quickly on what may doubtlessly go down as the most important heavyweight combat in UFC historical past.
