UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall says ‘I will retire Jon Jones without even fighting him’

Tom Aspinall notices silence from Jon Jones since Aspinall tore through Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. The performance only emboldened Aspinall’s belief that he’s the promotion’s top heavyweight fighter.

Aspinall made a rare interim title defense against Blaydes in July. Aspinall took the fight, in part, because the UFC refuses to honor his earned title unification fight against heavyweight champ Jones until Jones fights former champion Stipe Miocic. Jones has repeatedly expressed disinterest in fighting Aspinall, but Aspinall says the champion has gone radio silent.

“Let’s be honest, and since I won that fight, he’s gone completely quiet,” Aspinall told Michael Bisping on the latter’s “Believe You Me” podcast. “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.”

UFC CEO Dana White gave a conflicting statement earlier this month claiming that Aspinall “doesn’t deserve anything” but is owed a title fight against the winner of Jones vs. Miocic. White anticipates that a victorious Jones would grant Aspinall the unification fight, but Aspinall disagrees.

“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,” Aspinall said. “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 Blaydes] so he could start tweeting about it.”

Aspinall took things one step further, arguing that Jones and Miocic do not deserve to fight for the heavyweight title. Jones vs. Miocic was originally scheduled for UFC 295 on Nov. 11, 2023. The UFC opted to pull Miocic from the card and protect the match-up after Jones pulled out due to injury. Aspinall stepped in on short notice and knocked out Sergei Pavolovich to become interim champ.

“They don’t f—ing 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.”

Aspinall’s dominance and ongoing delays for Jones vs. Miocic — currently rumored for UFC 309 on Nov. 16 — have lent credibility to Aspinall’s claims.

“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.”

Jones seemed to respond to Aspinall’s comments on social media on Tuesday, continuing to diminish Aspinall’s credentials to earn the fight while saying he is focused on “goat things.”

“Maybe Tom will go on and beat Stipe’s record one day, right now I’m focusing on goat things,” Jones wrote. “The beautiful thing about being in my position is I’m not defined by one fight. Most of you grew up watching me win.

“I’m 37 years old now, I’ve kicked everyone’s ass. My job is to finish strong and make an amazing movie. Go join Tom Brady, Floyd Mayweather and all the other retired bad asses.”