Signs are pointing to a Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight championship unification battle in the not-too-distant future.
At UFC 309, disputed heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones (28-1, 1 NC) defended his throne against Stipe Miocic, dispatching the longtime titleholder with a spinning back kick and follow-up punches. In his post-fight interview, Jones expressed that he would not likely be retiring after his victory, while not naming his next opponent as he noted there are plenty of options going forward. According to one of those options, Tom Aspinall (15-3), he will be the next challenge to “Bones.”
Despite the excitement potential of a title unification, Jones was not entirely sold on the endeavor. He suggested that instead, light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira should move up to try to become the UFC’s first beltholder in three weight classes. The New Yorker again flirted with retirement if he does not battle “Poatan” next, but the UFC might not agree with him.
Aspinall claimed to have received some good news from UFC execs Dana White and Hunter Campbell in the immediate aftermath of UFC 309. The Brit posted a video on his YouTube channel meeting White and Campbell backstage, and he expressed plenty of excitement.
“Just had a meeting with Dana [and] the other UFC brass, Hunter. And all success. See you next time, big news coming,” he said on the video.
The interim heavyweight champ also claims to have witnessed more positive hints from the UFC chiefs regarding his next fight. According to Aspinall in a conversation with ESPN analysts, White and Hunter also pointed at him and winked while Jones was talking about his future in his post-fight Octagon interview.
“When Jon Jones was doing his speech, I was looking directly at the UFC brass, Dana and Hunter,” Aspinall remarked. “And both of them turned to me at the same time and pointed at me and winked… at the same time. So, to me that says there’s something big in the pipeline…This is the biggest fight…This is potentially one of the biggest fights in MMA right now. And if that doesn’t interest Jon Jones then I don’t know what else we can do…Everybody knows that this the fight to make. This is the fight that the people want, this is the fight that the UFC wants, this is the fight that the fans want. And this the fight that has to happen now.”
