Interim UFC heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall says the division is ready to ‘move on’ from Jon Jones.
As summer quickly approaches, a UFC fight announcement featuring heavyweight titleholders Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall remains cloudy.
Jones hasn’t fought since defending the lineal heavyweight championship against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November. After initially teasing retirement, Jones pivoted on that stance in his post-fight interview, as he previewed upcoming contract negotiations with the UFC brass.
Seven months later, the status of the Jones vs. Aspinall fight remains a mystery. But Jones hinted at a looming announcement from the UFC that will provide clarity on what’s next for the heavyweight division.
Tom Aspinall responds to Jon Jones’s recent remarks about a looming UFC announcement
While hosting an MMA seminar in Thailand, Jones raised eyebrows when he said that he and Aspinall are waiting for the UFC to announce the heavyweight division’s next move. Jones didn’t explicitly say that the Aspinall fight was imminent, leaving the door open to the matchup falling off the table.
Aspinall didn’t take long to respond to Jones’s claims.
In a recent appearance on Good Guy/Bad Guy with Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, Aspinall contradicted Jones’s recent remarks that they’ve ‘agreed’ to a UFC fight booking.
“Nah, man, Jon’s retired. What are we talking about, guys?” Aspinall said.
“The guy is living his best life, he’s had a fantastic career, we all know. We know Jones is a religious man, so I want to say God bless him moving forward and with what he does with his life and his career. We move on.
“I’m the undisputed heavyweight champion. I’m ready to take on all comers, get this division moving again,” Aspinall continued.
“Those guys have been waiting around for too long. The contenders are getting sick of it, even the fans are getting sick of it.”
In a follow-up post to his Instagram story, Aspinall doubled down on his claim that Jones is set to retire, sending a heartfelt message to the all-time great.
“Want to be the first to wish Jon all the best in his retirement,” Aspinall said. “Let’s get this division going [UFC].”
If Aspinall’s claims that Jones is hanging up the gloves are proven true, he’ll likely be promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion in the coming weeks. Aspinall will likely then defend the belt against another top contender; with names like Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov in the mix.
Aspinall is the longest-reigning interim titleholder in UFC history, a distinction which the champion vehemently detests.
Jon Jones recently hinted at delayed timetable for possible UFC return
Aspinall’s comments run parallel to Jones’s recent two-word hint on a timeline for a return to the cage. After a social media follower sarcastically asked him about his comeback, Jones responded ‘next year’, resulting in strong reactions from fans.
A petition calling for the UFC to strip Jones of his heavyweight belt has garnered nearly 200,000 signatures. But as of this writing, the UFC hasn’t shared any plans to strip Jones of the title.
Aspinall hasn’t fought since defending the interim heavyweight belt against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 last July. He knocked out Sergei Pavlovich for the interim title in a short-notice booking at UFC 295.