Jon Jones Blasts Tom Aspinall for Stipe Miocic UFC Fight Comments

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has finally responded to remarks made by interim champion Tom Aspinall.

Aspinall won the interim title in November 2023 and has since come to face the reality that the UFC wants him to wait while Jones is rebooked against Stipe Miocic.

Interim champions are normally guaranteed the next shot at the undisputed champion, and this rubbed Aspinall the wrong way, as evidenced in a series of posts he made from January 4 to January 5:

"Last time Stipe fought and won, GTA: San Andreas had just come out on PS2..." Aspinall posted on X. "Loads of respect to him [Miocic] his resume is far superior to mine. That being said the UFC has never been about this. It's about who's the best right now, and I believe that's me...

"...Surely if you're interim champ, your next fight should be to fight for undisputed..."

Jones remained quiet for a few days after Aspinall's comments but finally broke his silence on January 9:

"Only four recognizable opponents, and already the king of England, must be nice," Jones said. "There will be legendary tales told about you and your infamous callouts.

"...I was a champion when I was 23 years old, you can't show up at age 30 pretending like you've been chasing me your whole life. I have no clue who 90% of his resume is, meanwhile, I've been highlighting UFC events my entire career."

Aspinall replied, trying to appeal to Jones' competitive nature:

"Jon you're letting your ego run wild here mate," Aspinall replied. "I'm not downplaying your resume, it's incredible. Far superior to mine. You are known as the best fighter ever, and that's exactly why I want to beat you. Surely you can understand?"

Unfortunately for the Brit, the UFC's plans to rebook Jones vs. Miocic appear watertight. UFC CEO Dana White has remarked that the fight "has to happen." 

The fear for many fans is that Jones and Miocic will both retire after the conclusion of the fight, without a satisfying ending for Aspinall's title ascension. In the event of this happening, Aspinall would likely be elevated to undisputed champion, if not fight for the vacant title against another contender. Regardless of that fact, the Jones vs. Aspinall fight would remain a huge asterisk on the legacy of both men.