UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall was never “chasing” Jon Jones.
Following a 19-month period with two champions, the heavyweight division is finally moving forward with the absence of Jones, the now-former titleholder.
Dana White announced Jones’ retirement in Baku earlier this month, while also elevating Aspinall to undisputed status in the division.
Amid a period that saw Aspinall break an unwanted UFC record to become the longest-reigning interim champ, the Brit frequently had his calls to unify the title turned away by Jones.
But Aspinall insists he was never in pursuit of ‘Bones’.
Tom Aspinall says he was always chasing the undisputed UFC heavyweight title, not Jon Jones
Aspinall recently provided his first in-depth reaction to Jones’ retirement and his crowning as undisputed champ during an appearance on The Diary of a CEO.
Reflecting on a difficult period of inactivity as he awaited Jones’ ultimately controversial decision, Aspinall revealed that many have it twisted when it comes to what exactly he was chasing.
While many would perhaps expect it to be a clash with Jones that he’d called his “dream fight” in the past, the Manchester native said he had eyes only for the gold that was in the now-retired legend’s possession.
“A lot of people get it confused over the last kind of 10 months, that I was chasing Jon Jones,” Aspinall said.
“That was never the case. I was chasing the undisputed heavyweight title — that’s it.
“If I do get the opportunity to put Jon Jones on my résumé, of course I’ll accept that with open arms. But if not, I’m content.”
- READ MORE: Jon Jones reacts to Khabib Nurmagomedov calling him the GOAT in response to polarizing retirement
Tom Aspinall has a new target to chase in the UFC
Having achieved his goal of earning the undisputed crown, Aspinall now has his sights set on a new goal as the king of the heavyweights.
In a short video posted to his YouTube channel, Aspinall vowed to be the “best heavyweight ever” while building an unrivaled legacy in the division.
“Moving forward, very, very important to me that I acknowledge everybody quickly who has supported me in this.
“I’m not going to say it was a tough time, but a bit of a challenging time over the last 10, 11 months, that I have been inactive due to no fault of my own.
“But luckily, that is all behind us now. Massively appreciate the support from everybody, massively appreciate the support going forward.
“I’m gonna keep this thing as active as possible. I wanna be the best heavyweight ever to walk the face of the earth,” Aspinall added. “I’m gonna defend this thing as many times as I possibly can.”