UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier believes Jon Jones is taking a calculated approach in shunning a potential fight with interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall.
Jon Jones will return to the Octagon when he defends his UFC heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. It’s been almost two full years since he won the then-vacant heavyweight belt at UFC 285 against Ciryl Gane.
Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall will weigh in as the UFC 309 backup this week. He’s expected to face the Jones vs. Miocic winner, although UFC CEO Dana White is preparing for both fighters to potentially walk away after their title clash.
Ahead of UFC 309, Jones vehemently pushed aside a possible fight with Aspinall. He claimed Aspinall “hasn’t done anything” worthy of a lineal title shot, despite winning the interim belt last year on days’ notice.
Despite their checkered past, Daniel Cormier doesn’t feel Jones is afraid of facing Aspinall and believes there’s a philosophy behind some of his dismissals.
Daniel Cormier says Jon Jones’ dismissal of Tom Aspinall is legacy-driven
During a recent breakdown on his YouTube channel, Cormier hit back at Jones’ critics who believe he’s intentionally ducking Aspinall.
“Jon Jones isn’t afraid of Tom Aspinall,” Cormier said. “I wish people would stop saying that. He is not afraid of that guy. He’s not afraid of anyone. He’s not afraid to fight this guy. He’s not.
“I think he’s trying to be more strategic, he’s trying to make sure his legacy stands. I don’t know how it could ever be faded. We do have short memories but could you ever forget what he did? I don’t think fighting Tom Aspinall with the potential that he would lose is a bad thing. Most would expect him to win the fight.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
Jones opined that a potential clash with Alex Pereira, the UFC’s light heavyweight champion, is a more legacy-defining fight than facing Aspinall. Pereira and Jones have expressed mutual respect and openness to making a super fight come to fruition.
Jon Jones favors Alex Pereira super fight over Tom Aspinall after UFC 309
Jones and Cormier clashed twice in their UFC careers with Jones getting the upper hand in both matchups. But, Jones’ UFC 214 knockout win was overturned to a no-contest after testing positive for a banned substance.
After vacating the UFC light heavyweight title in 2020, Jones took three years away from the cage to rebuild his body for a move up in weight. He returned at UFC 285, submitting Gane just minutes into the fight.
Jones is arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time after defeating a slew of legends during his career. His lone career blemish, a disqualification loss to Matt Hamill in Dec. 2009, could potentially be overturned after recent revisions to MMA’s unified rules.
Aspinall earned the interim UFC heavyweight title by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. He took the interim title bout on days’ notice after Jones withdrew from his previously scheduled Miocic clash due to injury.
Jones and Aspinall have traded barbs on social media in recent months, fueling speculation over a potential fight booking. But, Jones seems disinterested in facing Aspinall and appears to be leaning towards retirement.
Fans are clamoring for Jones vs. Aspinall to come to fruition if Jones defeats Miocic at UFC 309. But, time will tell if hope springs eternal.
