Tom Aspinall has decided to move on from waiting for a fight with Jon Jones, declaring Jones effectively retired and expressing his desire to revitalize the UFC heavyweight division by fighting all available contenders.
Tom Aspinall is done waiting for Jon Jones. For over a year, the MMA world has been buzzing about whether these two UFC heavyweight champs will ever unify their titles. Meanwhile, Jones has been trolling Aspinall about the delays. Now, Aspinall’s had enough.
On Monday, Aspinall told Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen on their Good Guy/Bad Guy show that he’s moving on. "Jon’s retired," Aspinall declared. "You guys don’t follow Jon on social media? The guy is living his best life."
Aspinall respects Jones’s career and wishes him well. "God bless him moving forward," he said. But it’s time to move on. "I’m the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. I’m ready to take on all comers."
While Jones hasn’t officially retired, he seems far from fighting again. He’s openly uncertain about returning to the octagon. For Aspinall, that says it all.
"If one guy is thinking about retiring, he’s retired," Aspinall stated. "I’m here to fight, man." He’s eager to get the heavyweight division active again.
Aspinall’s been the longest-reigning interim champ in UFC history, nearing 600 days. Some might be frustrated, but he’s ready to move forward. "I’m not looking to fight Jon Jones," he emphasized.
He wants the undisputed heavyweight title. Aspinall’s not waiting for a single fight like Michael Chandler did for Conor McGregor. "I’m trying to fight all the guys," he said.
Whether it’s Ciryl Gane, Alexander Volkov, or even Brock Lesnar, Aspinall’s game. "I want to fight everybody," he declared. He’s focused on bringing excitement back to the division.
"Let’s not talk about Jon Jones anymore," Aspinall concluded. "Full respect to him, wish him all the best." But Aspinall’s the active guy, and a new fight announcement is coming soon.