Jones and Aspinall have been deep in negotiations over a potential fight the last few months, but as of yet, nothing has been made official
Jon Jones has b oastedthe UFC would rather have him as the undisputed heavyweight champion over Tom Aspinall.
The American fighter has not been active since he clinched the heavyweight title in 2023, defeating Ciryl Gane with a first-round submission. Jones was set to defend his belt shortly after his victory over the Frenchman against Stipe Miocic, but he had to pull out due to a severe pectoral tendon injury sustained during training.
Miocic was left waiting an entire year before the heavyweight dust-up was rescheduled. When they finally clashed, Jones dominated and secured a knockout win over Miocic in the third round in New York. Since then, the 37-year-old has been locked in talks for a potential fight with Aspinall.
However, fans are becoming increasingly impatient with Jones’ reluctance to commit to fighting the British fighter and there have been calls for him to be stripped of his title. In response, Jones has disclosed why the anticipated fight hasn’t materialised yet. In a post uploaded to X – formerly known as Twitter – on Friday morning, ‘Bones’ explained that he had discussed his future with the UFC some time ago.
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“I spoke to the UFC a long time ago about what my future plans were. I haven’t really worked out since my last fight in New York City. Honestly, I believe it’s been in the UFC’s best interest to keep presenting me as the company’s champion—not Tom,” he tweeted.
“I’ve just been playing the role of the company man by doing nothing at all… and holding the position. And truthfully, it’s been incredibly lucrative. I’ve made more money off of Tom being the interim champ than Tom has himself. It sucks to see the rest of the division get slowed down like this, but that has nothing to do with me. I don’t pull the strings.”
After surprisingly admitting he has not trained regularly since his bout with Miocic, many are wondering if Jones has effectively retired. Ahead of UFC 316 on Saturday, fans voiced their discontent by calling for the heavyweight champion to be stripped of his title.
A petition has been circulating, demanding Jones be officially stripped of his title, and has gained thousands of signatures. When asked about the petition, UFC commentator Jon Anik was interrupted by the audience at the press conference on Thursday evening, who chanted “strip Jon Jones” repeatedly, making their feelings clear.
Anik eventually opened up about ongoing situation with Jones, saying: “So I think a fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall is bigger if they are both champions. I’m hopeful they’re going to fight in December in Las Vegas. I have no inside information. But I don’t know that Jon Jones really gives a rip if they strip him of the heavyweight championship. He’s still going to fight Tom, hopefully, and it’s still going to be a bag.”