Jon Jones, the UFC heavyweight champion, has caught wind of Tom Aspinall’s suggestion. Aspinall thinks Jones should be stripped of his title.
Jones was supposed to headline UFC 295. However, a torn pectoral forced him to withdraw. He had a strong response to Aspinall’s suggestion.
Jones took to social media to voice his thoughts. He wrote, “I’ve faced the absolute toughest competition this world had to offer for 15 years now.” He mentioned a major injury he sustained during camp for a title defense. It was the first time in his career that he needed surgery.
The champion found it amusing that newcomers were suggesting he should be stripped of his title. He pointed out that they had zero wins over legends and zero title defenses. Yet, they thought they could dictate terms to Dana White.
Jones has seen many supposed “next big things” in his 15-year career. He reminded everyone that there’s only ever been one Jon Jones.
Aspinall stepped in to replace Jones at UFC 295. He faced Sergei Pavlovich, with the interim belt on the line. The Englishman won the title in an impressive fashion. He knocked out his Russian opponent just 69 seconds into the first round.
Usually, the interim title holder would be next to face the reigning champion. But this isn’t a typical situation. UFC CEO Dana White has stated multiple times that Jones vs. Miocic will be rebooked in 2024. White reiterated this point at the UFC Austin post-fight press conference.
White said, “The Stipe fight has to happen.” He believes both fighters deserve it. He referred to them as the greatest mixed martial artist and the greatest heavyweight of all time. They both want to fight each other, and it’s going to happen. White said they would see what the winner decides to do next and then go from there.