Tom Aspinall’s Frustration Grows as Jon Jones Continues to Dodge Potential Fight
Tom Aspinall, the interim heavyweight champion, has been eagerly waiting for his shot at the undisputed title against Jon Jones. However, as time passes, Aspinall’s hope for this fight is dwindling.
In November, Aspinall claimed the interim title with a knockout victory over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. This would normally guarantee him a shot at the undisputed champion, but there’s a problem – that champion is Jon Jones.
Jones is currently recovering from an injury and is set to defend his title against former champion Stipe Miocic, who has not fought in three years and has not won a fight in four years. Aspinall, understandably, would like to fight the winner of this bout. However, Jones has been noncommittal about the matchup and even expressed interest in fighting light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira instead.
This news came as a blow to Aspinall, who recently spoke about the situation with Kosport Magazine. “If we can get old mate Jon to ever sign a contract with my name on the other side of it, I’ll talk about him for hours on this show,” Aspinall said. “But right now, the guy is playing games again. Trying to convince the public what he wants and what he doesn’t want. Which he does really, really well. As I said, we can chat about Jon, if and when he ever signs a contract with my name on the other side of it. Because right now, let’s be honest, it’s not looking very likely.”
With a potential undisputed title shot seeming less and less likely, Aspinall is now focused on his next fight at UFC 304 in Manchester, England on July 27. While he still does not have an opponent scheduled, Aspinall is prepared to put his interim belt on the line against whoever the UFC chooses.
“The last I knew, it was going to get announced this weekend [at UFC 301], and obviously that’s been and gone now,” Aspinall said. “Right now, I have no idea what’s going on. I wish I could come on the show, I wish I could announce on social media, I wish I could start dragging traffic that way, but right now I have no idea. I’m just getting myself prepared for that date. As far as opponents and stuff like that, I don’t know what’s going on right now.”
Despite the uncertainty, Aspinall remains determined and ready to face any opponent that the UFC chooses for him. As his frustration with Jon Jones grows, Aspinall is focused on making a statement in his next fight and proving that he is a deserving contender for the undisputed title.
