UFC 317 is simply across the nook with no primary occasion in sight, and Din Thomas hopes the the group has a plan.
The UFC analyst not too long ago spoke to MMA Junkie and shared his ideas on how the June 28 pay-per-view occasion in Las Vegas – which headlines UFC’s annual Worldwide Combat Week – will be set if the matchmakers can line up interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall for the cardboard.
Aspinall – the No. 1 heavyweight within the MMA Combating International Rankings – at present awaits his subsequent project after efficiently defending his interim title towards Curtis Blaydes in July 2024. Since successful that belt at UFC 295, he has set his sights on undisputed champion Jon Jones, who has continuously said he’s not desirous about combating the British star.
Jones or not, Thomas believes UFC 317 ought to be constructed round Aspinall.
“I’m considering it’s a must to go Tom Aspinall someplace on this,” Thomas stated. “You need to. How do you not go together with the heavyweight champion of the world? He desires to struggle in the summertime. I’m considering it’s a must to go Tom Aspinall someplace. Now whether or not that’s Jon Jones, Ciryl Gane, Derrick Lewis, I don’t know which one, however it’s obtained to be Tom Aspinall vs. anyone for Worldwide Combat Week to kick issues off.”
“I feel they persuade Tom Aspinall to struggle Ciryl Gane,” Thomas later added. “I feel if I needed to put my cash on it, I feel that’s the one… we’re two months out and I feel they’ll throw a quantity at Ciryl Gane. It received’t be perfect for him, however they’ll throw a quantity that he can’t refuse and he’ll need to take it and I feel it makes extra sense that method.”
Aspinall and Gane have additionally gone back-and-forth publicly a couple of potential matchup, although nothing has materialized on that entrance both. Gane is at present on a two-fight win streak, together with his most up-to-date outing this previous December seeing him eke out a controversial cut up resolution over Alexander Volkov.
The final time followers noticed Jones, he was making gentle work of all-time heavyweight nice Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 this previous November. Jones and Miocic had been purported to struggle in November 2024, however a pectoral damage put Jones on the shelf. The UFC saved the matchup locked in, leaving Aspinall and the remainder of the heavyweight division to attend for Jones’ return for his or her shot on the undisputed title.
Presently, it’s unclear whether or not a Jones vs. Aspinall matchup is being held up by Jones’ calls for for more cash and preparation time, the UFC merely not reserving the struggle, or a difficulty on Aspinall’s aspect. Jones needing extra time to prepare for Aspinall is one excuse Thomas isn’t shopping for.
“There’s no method Jon Jones accepts that struggle,” Thomas stated. “However right here’s the factor, he says he wants extra time to organize. It’s not like he didn’t learn about this for the final two years. We knew about this earlier than the Stipe struggle that he’d finally need to struggle Tom Aspinall. How has he not been making ready for this if he had any thought in his head that he was going to have this struggle? He must be prepared in his head that this was going to occur.
“So the increasingly time that passes, the increasingly I feel that Jon is simply pulling us alongside and should not ever take this struggle.”
Jones has beforehand said he would love “f*ck you” cash to simply accept a struggle with Aspinall, which complicates any potential negotiations. Thomas, a veteran of 36 professional bouts, doesn’t blame Jones for realizing his value.
“That’s the issue with fighter leverage,” Thomas stated. “As a fighter, you undergo a lot to get to the place you might be, wherever that’s, and when you possibly can actually begin to name your individual pictures, take into consideration all the fellows who’ve had the leverage and it’s only some of them. Conor McGregor being one, Jon Jones being the opposite, and as soon as they’re able to the place they’ll string you alongside, they’re going to do it. They’re going to go, ‘You understand what? In spite of everything you guys put me via, y’all going to really feel this one.’
“And so they’ve put us via it. Jon has strung us alongside, Conor has strung us alongside, and now we’ve obtained to take a seat and eat it as a result of we accomplished gave these guys all of the leverage. They accomplished obtained all of the playing cards of their fingers.”
Thomas was additionally requested a couple of current ESPN MMA graphic that dubiously touted the size of Jones’ heavyweight championship reign. Not solely did the statistic seemingly ignore the existence of interim champion Aspinall, it additionally fails to say that Jones has solely defended his title as soon as.
“Undisputed?” Thomas stated. “And the longest reign? The best way we will form of manipulate numbers to make one thing appear nice. I’m not hating, I’ve simply obtained to name it like it’s. I’ve all the time obtained to name it like it’s. I’m not hating. I like Jon. I feel he’s the best of all time. But it surely don’t final without end. Your reign doesn’t final without end. After which when it’s over, you possibly can form of therapeutic massage the numbers to make them appear higher and that’s precisely what we’re doing right here.
“We’re manipulating these stats and the state of affairs and the narrative to make it appear higher than it’s, however the actuality is, he fought Stipe and he obtained the title from Ciryl Gane, who was deathly afraid of him. He hasn’t been on this run of heavyweights the place he’s been tearing guys up.”
