Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones continue to feud although the Englishman has seemingly stopped chasing a matchup with the reigning UFC heavyweight king.
Jones defends his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the main event at UFC 309 on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York. While many consider interim champ Aspinall the rightful title contender, Jones is adamant on fighting Miocic, who hasn’t competed since a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou in 2021.
Jones recently dismissed the idea of fighting Aspinall, claiming the Brit hasn’t achieved enough to lure him into that matchup.
“Tom Aspinall – I don’t want to say [he is a] nobody, but he just hasn’t proven anything,” Jones recently told New York Post Sports. “He hasn’t done anything… Really nothing, you know? I find him annoying. I mean, he just… I’ve been here for so long. He just got to the UFC not so long ago. If he wanted to fight me, he could have been here. I was like, ‘Where have you been all this time?’ At the end of the day, he has no real standout legacy. I think the only guy he beat was Andrei Arlovski, and Andrei was very old at the time. He really has nothing that entices me, nothing.”
UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
While Aspinall is the backup fighter for the UFC 309 headliner, the interim heavyweight champion isn’t chasing the Jones matchup anymore. However, “Honey Badger” reminded Jones of his achievements by posting a clip of some of his highlights and UFC records.
Tom Aspinall posted a video of his accomplishments in response to Jon Jones saying he “hasn’t done anything”
IG / @AspinallMMA #UFC #MMA #UFC309 pic.twitter.com/FmAZgqSumo
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 8, 2024
Aspinall knocked out Sergei Pavlovich to win the interim title at UFC 295 last year and defended it with a KO win over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 this past July. Meanwhile, Jones hasn’t fought since winning the title with a submission win over Ciryl Gane in his heavyweight debut at UFC 285 in March 2023. Both Jones and Miocic have repeatedly hinted at retirement while speaking of their futures after UFC 309. However, Jones isn’t interested in fighting Aspinall even if he sticks around. “Bones” finds light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira, one of the fastest growing stars in the sport, a more enticing matchup.
“Pereira, you know, that’s somebody that interests me… This guy is a champion killer like myself. That type of stuff entices me,” Jones said. “I’m going for fights that financially just puts me in a different category.”
Jon Jones says there’s “nothing” Tom Aspinall can do that would make him interested in that fight
“I find [Aspinall] annoying… The only guy he beat was Andrei Arlovski…
He really has nothing that entices me.”
@nypostsports #UFC309 #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/5SpGfGlwcj
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 8, 2024
