Jon Jones says Tom Aspinall “Hasn’t done anything” to earn a heavyweight title shot
In a recent interview with longtime journalist Kevin Iole, Jones was asked about whether an Aspinall fight would be next with a victory at UFC 309.
“More than likely not. I feel like Tom Aspinall is, I don’t want to say ‘nobody’, but he just hasn’t proven anything. He hasn’t done anything,” Jones said of Aspinall. “I understand that he won his belt against Sergei, Sergei just got slaughtered by someone else. So I’m not here to gamble someone else making a name off of me, I’m here to compete against the guys where when we look back 10 years from now, ‘Jon Jones fought this guy, that guy, this legend, this champion…’. If there would to be a fight with a guy that is still on the UFC roster that would be not only financially worth it, but legacy worth it, it would be Alex Pereira…
“Alex Pereira and I, we’re both 37 years old. Right now, I weigh about 235, I’m an incredibly light heavyweight… that fight would go much farther on my legacy than a young man who is cool today, and maybe gone tomorrow,” Jones continued. “I remember a time when the whole world thought Johnny Walker was going to be the guy to beat me. No disrespect to Johnny Walker, but we’ve all seen the way his career has played out. I’ve just been here too long to get all excited about someone who is hot today. I’m here for legacy, I’ve been gambling for way too long to just take random fights.”
UFC CEO Dana White believes the Jones vs. Miocic winner should face Aspinall, and has teased a big-money offer. But, it sounds like no money offer will encourage Jones to give Aspinall his long-awaited lineal title shot.
