The Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall saga could almost be over, according to UFC legend Chael Sonnen, who has claimed the fight is now booked.
For several months now, UFC fans have been left wondering whether a heavyweight title unification fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall will happen, as Jones has continuously delayed the potential fight.
With the delays, fans have continuously scorched Jones, labeling him a ‘duck’ for not accepting the fight against the interim champion.
Despite Aspinall starting their rivalry being respectful, even the 32-year-old is seemingly losing his patience with the consensus greatest of all time.
Chael Sonnen claims Jones vs Aspinall is booked
Throughout the heavyweight title unification saga, UFC boss Dana White has attempted to keep fans hopeful by offering the occasional positive update.
Recently, Aspinall also provided a cryptic update stating that he has been ‘sworn to secrecy’ regarding the potential fight, but he finally knows what is happening.
And with that, UFC legend Chael Sonnen has recently claimed that he has it on good authority that the fight is official and a date has finally been set following rumors that it was being targeted for International Fight Week at the end of June.
“No, (I’m not breaking the news that the fight is booked for International Fight Week), but I am confident enough to tell you that the fight is done, though,” Sonnen said on a recent episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy.
“That fight has been agreed, all the way down to the date, that I do have the confidence to tell you. International Fight Week would make perfect sense, I just always thought they were gonna go back to New York.
“I’m telling you that this Jon Jones business, Jones will say a lot of things to the media, when he gets that phone call, ‘Here’s the guy you’re fighting, do you understand?’, and he will say, ‘Yes.’
“All the other reports are not true, Jon has come out and he has been a troll, he’s had some fun, he’s even tried to negotiate in the media, privately, he takes that phone call, it’s ‘Yes’… Jon Jones has not ducked this fight, I wish he did because I’d love to bury him, but he has not ducked Tom Aspinall.”
When could Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall take place?
With the heavyweight title fight announcement seemingly imminent, fans have been left wondering when the clash will take place.
It is likely too short notice for it to headline International Fight Week’s UFC 317, however, a middleweight title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev was being targeted for that event, but is now in jeopardy after an injury to Du Plessis.
The UFC currently has no broadcast deal after its contract with ESPN expired last week, and they will likely announce a few big fights with the announcement of their new broadcast deal.
With UFC 317 likely too soon, fans can expect the heavyweight title unification fight to take place any time after June, with ‘Bones’ likely wanting as much time as possible to prepare.