Matt Brown warned Tom Aspinall against continuing to wait for Jon Jones without an assured fight.
Interim UFC heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall broke the record for the longest interim champion reign in UFC history earlier this year. As he continues to wait for Jon Jones‘s potential return to the Octagon, Aspinall defended the interim belt last July against Curtis Blaydes, and hasn’t fought since the UFC 304 finish.
In recent weeks, Jones has teased and pivoted on retirement as he continues to make Aspinall wait for a shot at the undisputed title. Despite uncertainty, UFC CEO Dana White remains confident that the Jones vs. Aspinall matchup will come to fruition later this year.
Aspinall’s long wait for Jones has drawn comparisons to Michael Chandler‘s multi-year wait for Conor McGregor, before Chandler returned to the Octagon to face Charles Oliveira at UFC 309. After ending his hiatus, Chandler has lost fights to Oliveira and Paddy Pimblett after the McGregor fight fell out of the picture.
Matt Brown presses Tom Aspinall to resume regular UFC activity
A recently retired UFC fan favorite warned Aspinall against potentially suffering the same fate as Chandler.
In a recent episode of MMA Fighting’s The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast, UFC legend Matt Brown advised Aspinall amidst his long wait for the Jones fight.
“I look at that just like the [Michael] Chandler situation with Conor [McGregor]. Just go fight,” Brown said of Aspinall.
“Keep your name out there. Keep showing that you are the man to fight him. Keep building your legacy. Keep your name out in the news. Keep showing the world that you’re the guy that should be fighting him.
“If it’s true, then your case is going to get stronger and stronger. If you’re sitting on the sidelines, it doesn’t really help your case as much.”
Aspinall earned the UFC interim heavyweight title in a short-notice knockout win over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. Jones was supposed to headline the card opposite Stipe Miocic before withdrawing due to injury.
Top heavyweight rips Jon Jones for ‘privilege’ amidst stalled Tom Aspinall fight talks
Jones has been accused of intentionally ‘mentally exhausting’ Aspinall with the long wait for an undisputed title fight announcement. Aspinall has opened up on the struggles of staying motivated and composed, and how Jones’s absence has impacted his personal life.
In recent days, a top heavyweight contender accused the UFC of granting Jones the unfair privilege of leaving the division’s title picture in flux. Alexander Volkov expressed frustrations with Jones holding up the division.
Jones defended the heavyweight title by knocking out Miocic at UFC 309 in November. Despite teasing retirement in the fight’s buildup, Jones pivoted on that stance in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.