Jon Jones is expected to pay close attention to how UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall performs against a shared opponent
At UFC 321 on October 25, the heavyweight title will be on the line for the first time since Jon Jones beat Stipe Miocic in November 2024. ‘Bones’ was accused of holding the belt hostage in the months that followed, as he repeatedly refused to unify the gold against Aspinall.
The division was finally able to move on when Dana White announced Jones’ controversial retirement, elevating the Englishman to undisputed status.
In his first assignment since that news, Aspinall will face the challenge of Ciryl Gane in the UFC 321 main event. ‘Bon Gamin’ has previously fallen short of the throne twice, most recently when he was run through by Jones at UFC 285.
Jones is often active on social media making bold remarks and responding to his detractors, and one UFC legend expects him to emerge on a victory lap if his win over Gane outdoes Aspinall’s potential triumph.
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Michael Bisping ‘guarantees’ Jon Jones will react to Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Michael Bisping reacted to the recent fight announcements made by White. The Brit gave plenty of attention to the next fight for his fellow countryman, having been among the most publicly critical of Jones for dodging a fight with Aspinall.
Bisping is backing the champ to keep hold of the title in Abu Dhabi, but he’s warned Aspinall to expect another Jones tirade on social media should he take longer to put Gane away than the Rochester native did in 2023.
“I do fancy Tom Aspinall to get the job done (against Gane),” Bisping said. “The fact that he isn’t fighting Jon Jones is insane, but we’ve talked about that until the cows come home.
“But just you wait. Just you wait. Jon Jones is probably gonna pop up on Twitter.
“If he (Aspinall) doesn’t beat Ciryl Gane as fast as Jon did, I guarantee we’re gonna get some tweets,” Bisping added.
Jone submitted Gane in 124 seconds at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
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Tom Aspinall accused Ciryl Gane of ducking like Jon Jones
While he may not have gotten his wish for a “dream” fight against Jones, Aspinall’s next bout has also been a long time coming.
Prior to confirmation of their UFC 321 main event, Aspinall said Gane is “due” a beating after turning down their matchup in the past.
“I’ve actually fought a lot of the top 10,” Aspinall said on the Diary of a CEO podcast. “One of the guys I’ve not fought is Ciryl Gane, a French guy.
“I was actually chasing that fight a few times before. He was ducking and diving around himself a little bit. He is due a little bit of a beating off me. I look forward to that.”