UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall had several moles in Jon Jones’s inner circle during the legend’s recent Thailand trip.
Tom Aspinall‘s wait for a shot at the undisputed UFC heavyweight title ended in bizarre fashion after Jon Jones announced his retirement last weekend. UFC CEO Dana White announced the news at the UFC Baku post-fight press conference, which was immediately followed by an official announcement by Jones on his social media accounts.
Jones’s retirement prompted the UFC to promote Aspinall to undisputed heavyweight champion, and he’s expected to return by year’s end. The Jones/Aspinall saga’s conclusion came after months of back-and-forth speculation over whether or not the fight would come to fruition.
But according to Aspinall, he didn’t have many doubts about the Jones fight happening, until hearing about Jones’s alleged actions during the legend’s trip overseas.
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Tom Aspinall: Jon Jones’s rumored ‘behavior’ in Thailand pointed to doomed UFC clash
Earlier this year, Jones was in Thailand as he was set to clash with Nate Diaz as coaches of a spinoff of The Ultimate Fighter featuring several up-and-coming regional stars. But the show was abruptly canceled after an on-set brawl led to Diaz and his team leaving the set and thwarting the show’s filming.
After the show’s cancelation, Jones stayed in Thailand with several members of his inner circle to enjoy some downtime. But according to Aspinall, he knew several people who spent time with Jones in Thailand who gave him insight into Jones’s questionable behavior amid the ongoing UFC negotiations.
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Aspinall was asked about when he started to doubt that the Jones fight would happen.
“A few weeks ago. Everybody seemed to think that Jon was playing this game of ‘Let’s make Tom not think I’m giving him the fight, and then I’ll just spring it on him’. But the MMA community, at the highest level, is a pretty small world,” Aspinall said.
“And I know people who have been out in Thailand, similar times that he was there. And I know people who were around his circle, and I know that from the behavior he’s doing outside the Octagon, that he’s not going to fight anytime soon.”
Aspinall was then pressed about his mindset while hearing about Jones’s rumored actions outside of the cage.
“I honestly think I’ve got to be one of the easiest people for the UFC to ever work with. And that’s not me blowing my own trumpet, everything they’ve told me, I’ve done. They just told me for a year, ‘Be ready, stay fit, stay in shape and be ready for a date and a contract’. And that’s what I’ve done for the last year, I haven’t done anything else,” Aspinall declared.
“No vacations, no days off. I’m looking after my diet, recovery, doing the sparring, strength and conditioning and learning new techniques. Everything that a professional fighter at the elite level should be doing to get ready for a fight. That’s all I’ve done for the last 10 months, or whatever it’s been. It’s a bit of a strange situation, but I’m just so glad it’s done and I can move on.”
After Jones’s retirement, and Aspinall’s promotion, the UFC’s heavyweight division is ready to move forward with a promised high activity level. Aspinall could face one of Jones’s former foes for his first undisputed heavyweight title defense.
Tom Aspinall’s first undisputed defense allegedly ‘set’ after top contender’s recent comments
Former interim UFC heavyweight titleholder Ciryl Gane raised eyebrows recently when he claimed that a clash with Aspinall was in ongoing negotiations. Gane hasn’t fought since a controversial win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310 in December.
Aspinall and Gane have been linked to several near-bookings during their UFC tenures. But Aspinall has accused Gane of declining several fight offers during their careers, including before Aspinall secured the UFC’s interim heavyweight title at UFC 295.
Volkov is another name to keep an eye on as the UFC ponders the first opponent for Aspinall’s heavyweight title reign. Despite Jones’s recent comeback teases, it appears the UFC Hall of Famer isn’t returning anytime soon, if ever.
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