Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos has stated that he believes interim titleholder Tom Aspinall should be promoted to undisputed champion if Jon Jones does not return to action soon.
Former UFC heavyweight champ, Junior dos Santos, reckons Tom Aspinall is due for a promotion. He’s eyeing the undisputed champion title for Aspinall, and soon.
Aspinall bagged the interim belt with a knockout of Sergei Pavlovich. It took him just 69 seconds. This was back in November. The interim title was up for grabs after Jon Jones got injured and had to bow out of the UFC 295 card at Madison Square Garden.
Jones, or “Bones” as some call him, hasn’t been back in action since. Miocic, on the other hand, decided to wait for Jones. He didn’t want to face Aspinall for the interim title.
“Cigano,” as dos Santos is known, spoke highly of Aspinall on MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast. He’s “impressed” by the 30-year-old heavyweight from England. Aspinall’s got a 100% finishing rate in 14 professional victories. Not too shabby, huh?
“He’s the man of the moment,” dos Santos said. “He should be considered the champion.” If Jon Jones doesn’t return soon, dos Santos thinks Aspinall’s belt should be made undisputed. “I think he’s doing great, he really is very tough and skilled and competent at what he does.” A new era for the heavyweight division in the UFC, he reckons.
Dos Santos didn’t criticize Jones and Miocic for choosing to wait. They only want to fight each other next. Given the magnitude of their careers inside the octagon, who can blame ’em?
But dos Santos does wonder what’s going on behind the scenes. “The UFC is always complicated,” he said. They do things their way, often disregarding the will of the champion and the challenger.
“If it makes sense for [Jones and Miocic], I support them,” dos Santos said. “It’s a fight the world really wanted to see. I’m really excited for this fight.” If they believe that’s the path they should follow now, who are we to argue? “Let’s keep going and see what happens,” he added.
Dos Santos admits that while the matchup could be the main focus for both athletes, the UFC belt isn’t really necessary to make Jones vs. Miocic special. “The belt is obviously the goal for every athlete, but more to crown the position they are today,” dos Santos said.
“The belt is a symbol that you’re No. 1, but Jon Jones and even Miocic, we already know they are the No. 1 and No. 2, or at least that they’re at the top of the division.” He even threw Renan [Ferreira] into the mix. [Laughs.]
“But I think they’re both extremely experienced and have long careers, so they should do what’s best for them,” he added. “There’s no point to fight only to fight, or to do things that they don’t believe in at this stage of their careers. Let’s see what happens next.”