Nov 11, 2023; New York, NY, USA; Tom Aspinall (blue gloves) reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

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Tom Aspinall Blames Jon Jones For “Holding Up” Their Much Anticipated Fight

Tom Aspinall accuses Jon Jones of ducking their highly anticipated fight, sparking tension in the heavyweight division.

Nov 11, 2023; New York, NY, USA; Tom Aspinall (blue gloves) reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The heavyweight division has always given fans the biggest stars in combat sports. From Randy Couture and Stipe Miocic in MMA, fans love watching the big boys throw down. There is something primal about seeing two massive humans collide at full speed. When someone gets knocked out at heavyweight, they don’t just fall – they crash and indent the canvas!

This brings fans to the current UFC heavyweight drama starring Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones. The Englishman has been waiting patiently with his interim belt collecting dust. While this is unheard of, he has defended it once already, smashing Curtis Blaydes in the first round last August. Meanwhile, the “undisputed” champion Jon Jones finally returned in November to beat Stipe Miocic after a lengthy injury layoff. Now the question on every fight fan’s mind is simple. Will these two titans ever collide?

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Tom Aspinall Speaks His Mind

Tom Aspinall isn’t holding back his frustration anymore as is evident from his latest YouTube video. He wants the fight with Jon Jones. The UFC wants the fight. The fans definitely want the fight. So what’s the holdup? According to Aspinall, it’s entirely on Jones and his team.

“Where we’re at right now is, I have spoke to the UFC on multiple occasions on this fight. I’m chasing it, I want the fight. I’ve been on record and said that I want the fight. What is holding it up right now is his side. That’s the truth of it..The UFC tell me, they assure me they are doing everything they can to make this fight. So as far as I’m aware, this is now totally down to Jon Jones and his team to work that out.”

Aspinall revealed that the money demands from Jones appear to be the main roadblock. After defeating Miocic at UFC 309, Jones stated he wanted “f*ck you money” to face Aspinall or he would simply retire. It’s a power move only possible from someone with Jones’ legendary status in the sport. But it leaves the division and Aspinall in limbo. The interim champ believes Jones might be weighing the financial reward against the considerable risk of facing a younger, faster, and equally skilled heavyweight.

A unification bout between these two would be massive business. Jon Jones, widely considered the greatest fighter of all time, facing the new-school wrecking machine in Aspinall has all the elements of a blockbuster. The UFC clearly sees the potential, which is why they are pushing for it to happen!

(Image Credit: Wendell Cruz – Imagn Images)

Jon Jones

Tom Aspinall

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!