Tom Aspinall doesn’t believe Jon Jones is ‘scared’, but he does think the UFC heavyweight champion sees Stipe Miocic as a ‘way easier fight’.
After knocking out Curtis Blaydes in just 60 seconds at UFC 304, Aspinall reiterated his desire for a title unification fight with Jones in the heavyweight division. The Brit is the current interim champion, a title he won last November by beating Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295, which was supposed to be headlined by Jones and Miocic until the fight was pulled off because of an injury to the New York native.
Ideally, Aspinall should be gearing up to fight for the undisputed championship later this year. However, he must wait on the sidelines as Jones prepares to face the former heavyweight champ in a bout slated for November.
While Jones has said that beating Miocic would be significant for his legacy, Aspinall believes he’s the real challenge ‘Bones’ should be worried about.
“Of course, Jon Jones is not an idiot,” Aspinall told MMA Fighting. “Even though he might act like it sometimes. He’s not unintelligent. Stipe, one of the best heavyweights if not the best heavyweight of all time. Stipe’s also 43 years old, coming off a three-year layoff and his last fight was a knockout loss. Obviously, he’s going to want to take that fight before me because it’s easier. Way easier. Way, way, way easier. He knows that I’m the tougher fight for him.”
It’s hard to dispute Aspinall’s reasoning, given his impressive performance since joining the UFC. In nine fights, he holds an 8-1 record with eight finishes, and only one opponent has made it to the second round against him. His only loss came in his first bout with Blaydes, where he tore his ACL just 15 seconds into the fight.
Do you agree with Tom Aspinall?
