UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier shared his prediction for Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall.
Since hanging up the MMA gloves in 2020, Daniel Cormier has become one of the most recognizable voices in sports broadcasting. He’s a common presence on UFC pay-per-view broadcasts alongside Joe Rogan and play-by-play broadcaster Jon Anik.
Due to his UFC color analyst role, Cormier isn’t allowed to make predictions for upcoming UFC fights. It’s a trend that Rogan has also stayed away from throughout his career, despite his massive podcast audience.
But Cormier seized the opportunity to predict how one of the UFC’s most desired fights would’ve played out.
Daniel Cormier details what Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall would’ve looked like
Jon Jones sent shockwaves around MMA when he announced his retirement last month. Interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall was promoted to undisputed heavyweight champion following Jones’s announcement.
The news came after months of back-and-forth negotiations between Jones, Aspinall, and the UFC to make a title unification bout come to fruition. Aspinall held the interim title for almost two full years as Jones fought Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November.
Cormier, who shares a multi-faceted history with Jones, has publicly lambasted his former rival for ‘quitting’ before fighting Aspinall. Despite his harsh rhetoric, Cormier took his side in how he believes the fight with Aspinall would’ve played out.
During a recent appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cormier shared his prediction for the now-defunct Jones vs. Aspinall fight.
“Gun to my head, I think Jon beats Tom,” Cormier said. “I would have said he’ll probably beat him right now. Because, guess why? Tom has never been pushed into those championship rounds.
“Say Ciryl Gane pushes [Aspinall] 25 minutes. If he beats Ciryl Gane, but he learns to go 25 minutes where, for the first time you feel that [gasps for air], [and he’s] gotta get up off that stool after the third round…
“Tom hasn’t got off the stool for a third round. [Jones] needed to fight Tom now, when he doesn’t have that experience—especially as Jon Jones.” (h/t BJPenn)
Aspinall has never fought past the second round in his MMA career. In his two UFC title fights against Curtis Blaydes and Sergei Pavlovich, both matchups ended in the first round by knockout.
Jones has gone the full five-round distance numerous times in his career, including in his first of two fights with Cormier. He earned gritty decision wins over the likes of Alexander Gustafsson, Glover Teixeira, and Dominick Reyes during his light heavyweight title reigns.
Despite current UFC fan sentiment, the Jones vs. Aspinall fight might not be a lost cause for much longer.
Jon Jones issued intriguing response to potential UFC event at The White House
Jones raised eyebrows when he announced just days ago that he re-entered the UFC’s drug testing pool. He’s required to be in the pool for at least six months before being eligible to potentially return to the Octagon.
In the meantime, U.S. President Donald Trump proposed an idea that may lure Jones back to the Octagon. President Trump announced that the UFC intends to host an event at The White House in 2026, prompting an intriguing response from Jones.
As a graphic of Jones defeating Aspinall at The White House went viral, Jones responded by saying “I like this”, a nod to a potential comeback. Conor McGregor expressed similar interest in featuring on a UFC White House card.
The UFC hasn’t held an event in Washington D.C. since 2019; a UFC Fight Night booking between heavyweights Alistair Overeem and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.