They say history repeats itself, but in Jon Jones’s case, it just keeps hitting replay. The MMA world has watched this exact movie before, and frankly, they are getting tired of the same plot. Jones has turned heavyweight championship politics into a predictable formula. First came the Francis Ngannou situation that dragged on for years, and now fans have witnessed an almost identical dance with Tom Aspinall.<\/p>
What’s fascinating is how Jones managed to pull off nearly the same playbook twice. Both situations involved legitimate contenders who deserved their shot, both featured Jones finding creative ways to avoid signing contracts, and both ended with the challengers getting shafted while Jones walked away. The parallels are so obvious and this cost fight fans years of anticipation and two potentially legendary matchups.<\/p>
Jones turned delaying tactics into a masterclass with both Francis Ngannou and Tom Aspinall. In the Ngannou situation, Jones spent years claiming he wanted the heavyweight move while simultaneously pricing himself out of negotiations. He demanded astronomical paydays that he knew the UFC<\/a> wouldn’t meet, then blamed the promotion for being cheap. And even if they meet those demands, still stall the fight and that’s exactly what happened with Aspinall.<\/p>