The UFC GOAT debate has been, and always will be, raging; with various iconic champions vying for their name to be top of the list – for many, the GOAT is heavyweight king Jon ‘Bones’ Jones.
Whether the dominant two-division champion returns to fight interim champion Tom Aspinall in 2025 remains to be seen, although the British juggernaut won’t stop goading ‘Bones’ over his GOAT status.
Tom Aspinall says failed drug tests annul Jon Jones from GOAT debate
For countless UFC fans, if Jon Jones hadn’t popped hot on more than one occasion, there’d be no question that he would be the single greatest MMA fighter in history.
But according to interim champion Tom Aspinall, that asterisk will not only never go away, but essentially annuls him from the GOAT debate entirely.
“Let me first start by saying that Jon is absolutely elite, and I completely agree with the notion that he’s one of the best fighters ever – potentially [the greatest in MMA history],” Aspinall stated on Piers Morgan Uncensored.
“But the way that I look at it, he has failed a couple of drug tests. To me, that rules you out of being the best of all time – for me, personally.
“Yeah of course it does [make him a cheat], if you’re on Performance Enhancing Drugs, and your opponent isn’t, that’s absolutely cheating in my book – unless you’re both allowed to do it.”
Whilst Aspinall is vehemently against the consumption of PEDs during active competition, the British heavyweight did admit that he plans on taking those substances when he eventually retires from MMA.
“Absolutely not [now but] when I retire I will yeah, absolutely, to keep my body healthy… Your body stops producing testosterone after a while and to be a healthy older gentleman, I’ll probably do some Testosterone Replacement Therapy.
“I don’t know a lot about the subject to be honest, but I think when you’re fighting in MMA, you absolutely shouldn’t be using PEDs.”
When asked by the divisive journalist whether he’s worried about upsetting Jones with such comments, Aspinall teased that he’s already under Bones’ skin: “I don’t know, I don’t care, I’m not bothered [but] Jon Jones seems to get his feelings hurts a little bit.”
Joe Rogan speaks on potential HW unification between Jones and Aspinall
Veteran UFC commentator Joe Rogan is arguably one of Tom Aspinall’s biggest fans, but he’s also got one key question about the British juggernaut ahead of a potential fight with Jones – endurance.
“God, I hope they fight,” said Rogan on a recent episode of his podcast.
“I wanna know [what would happen]. Here’s the question with Aspinall; what happens to Aspinall in the second round? If you wanna talk about a guy who sprints. If you wanna talk about a guy who is fast-twitch, Aspinall might be the fastest heavyweight in the history of the sport.”
Aspinall is 8-1 in the UFC with seven of those victories coming in the first round; the only exception being a submission win over Arlovski… Just 69 seconds into the second.
“I don’t think anybody moves like that guy does,” continued Rogan.
“At a 250lb+ frame, his movement is extraordinary, and that’s something you have to deal with. That is a crazy ability… His ability to move the way he moves is so much different to everybody else in the sport.”
That being said, Rogan still noted that it’d be “hard to bet against Jon,” especially now that he’s cemented himself as a true heavyweight.