Tom Aspinall promises he ‘will retire Jon Jones without even fighting him’

Tom Aspinall wants nothing more than to unify the UFC heavyweight title in a fight against Jon Jones, but he’s effectively given up any hope that it ever happens.

Despite a remarkable run through the UFC with eight wins and only one opponent even making it to the second round with him, Aspinall suddenly finds himself on the outside looking in while clutching onto an interim heavyweight title. While he’s waiting, Jon Jones is preparing to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in a fight expected in November at Madison Square Garden in New York.

What makes matters worse is that Jones may ultimately decide to retire from the sport if he beats Miocic, and while that might solidify Aspinall as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, he prefers proving that in the cage.

“There is nowhere that you can find publicly, nowhere, him saying that he will fight me,” Aspinall said about Jones on the Believe You Me podcast. “It doesn’t exist. I challenge anybody watching this interview to go and find the statement, quote, a video where Jon Jones is saying that he’ll fight me after he’s fought Stipe. It doesn’t exist. The guy’s smart, and we know the guy’s a bit overweight these days. The guy sat there with the Cheeto fingers or whatever, Doritos on his fingers with his iPhone in hand waiting for me to get knocked out [by Curtis Blaydes] so he could start tweeting about it.

“Let’s be honest, and since I won that fight, he’s gone completely quiet. He’ll continue to go completely quiet about me until he retires. Because there’s no way on Earth that he’s going to fight me. Not a chance. I will retire Jon Jones without even fighting him.”

Of course, Jones has commented on Aspinall in the past, but he’s mostly stated that a fight against a legend like Miocic just means more to his career and legacy, which is why he’s openly pursued the matchup.

Miocic is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time, and he holds the record for the most title defenses in that division in UFC history with three straight. That said, Miocic just turned 42 years old, he’s coming off a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou and he hasn’t fought since March 2021.

The fact that Jones wants that fight over a potential showdown against Aspinall tells the current interim UFC champion everything he needs to know.

“They don’t f*cking deserve to be fighting for the heavyweight title,” Aspinall said. “Them guys are not the top of the heavyweight division right now. Dana White and everybody else can say whatever they want, them guys aren’t the best heavyweights in the world right now.

“I’m not saying they’ve not had amazing careers because I idolize those guys. I want to have a career like that. That’s what I’m aiming to do with my life is what they’ve done but they’re not the best right now. Right now they’re definitely not the best so let’s stop talking all this bullshit like they are.”

The biggest obstacle for Aspinall getting to Jones probably isn’t Miocic but rather UFC CEO Dana White.

In recent months, White has consistently delivered the message that he considers Jones the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, and the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time, and he wants to allow him the courtesy to pursue a fight against another legend like Miocic.

That may appease Jones’ greatest desire, but Aspinall scoffs at the idea that somehow proves he’s the best heavyweight in the UFC.

“The way I look at it, I’m the best heavyweight in the world and I’m not getting my credit for it,” Aspinall said. “They’re holding the belt hostage and Jon Jones is loving it. He’s loving the fact that Dana White’s getting on every interview possible — you’re talking about bantamweights and Dana White flips it back and starts talking about how good Jon Jones is! If he’s that good, let’s fight. I’m the No. 1 heavyweight in the world right now. Let’s put it on the line and let’s see who the man is, me or Jon? It’s as simple as that.

“I’m about I’m the best fighter in the world, the best heavyweight in the world right now, and Jon Jones isn’t and I’m willing to prove it and he’s not. That’s what I’m about. I’m about being the best heavyweight in the world.”

While his frustration continues to mount, Aspinall revealed that he is expected to serve as the backup fighter for the Jones vs. Miocic fight later this year. If a scenario unfolds where he gets the call to step up against one of them in November, Aspinall vowed “I will jump in on one hour’s notice if I have to and beat either of them.”

If Jones vs. Miocic goes off without incident, Aspinall has accepted that he may go through an entire training camp without the reward of fighting, but that’s a risk he’s willing to take.

In his eyes, it’s just further proof that he’s willing to do what Jones won’t.

“I’m the guy at heavyweight, not him — me,” Aspinall said. “I want to be recognized as the best. I’ve got the real belt. I’m the one defending. He’s defending against a 42-year-old Stipe Miocic with a million miles on the clock. If you want to be the real guy, you have to fight me.”