Tom Aspinall’s world champion sparring partner has chimed in on the Jon Jones saga.
Phil De Fries defended his KSW heavyweight title for the 12th time with a first-round win on Saturday night.
The former UFC fighter has played a key role in Tom Aspinall‘s recent camps, which have focused on training with the best big men in Europe.
After UFC CEO Dana White set a two-week deadline for the fight, Phil De Fries shared his thoughts on a potential UFC unification clash between his friend and the greatest fighter in MMA history.
Phil De Fries explains why Jon Jones won’t vacate
Phil De Fries seriously doubts Jon Jones has any interest in actually fighting Tom Aspinall.
The 39-year-old believes ‘Bones’ is simply hanging onto the heavyweight title to keep lining his pockets with sponsorship money.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” De Fries said during an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow.
“I don’t think Jon wants anything to do with it. I think Jon gets a lot of money being the champion. I think the sponsors are paying him a fortune, and I think he’s dragging it along and keeping the belt as long as possible because it’s worth that much money to him.
“But I don’t think he’s got any intention of doing the fight at all. I think he’s just gonna drag it on for as long as he can, until he gets stripped.
“You never know, he might come back. If Tom did get beat, he would jump for joy and he would fight the guy who beat him, but Tom is not gonna get beat.
“I don’t think it’s gonna happen. It’s not happening at all. You never know, but I think if it was gonna happen, Jon would’ve said yes by now.”
Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall predicted
If the fight does happen, De Fries thinks Aspinall could finish Jones very early.
The Englishman also believes that his sparring partner has the gas tank to win over 25 minutes.
De Fries added: “Jon has often struggled with tall people who are good boxers. Tom would be the best boxer Jon has ever fought.
“I imagine if he did fight him, he would try to ignore him for the first two rounds. Totally ignore him for two rounds, get him frustrated, and get him tired.
“Tom is fit in the fifth. You know, he smokes people straight away, but I’ve been doing the fifth round with him, and it’s still not nice in the fifth round.
“Jon Jones is fantastic. I don’t think he is what he was, and he is kind of smaller. I think Tom would have the size advantage, but he is good; he could beat anyone, Jon Jones.
“But I think Tom could be the favorite, and there’s always a chance of Tom just smoking you in a minute.”