Will Jon Jones ever fight Tom Aspinall? This seems to be the question hanging like a shadow over the careers of both the fighters. Jones, the current heavyweight champion, has held the title for over two years and has defended it only once, beating Stipe Miocic in November last year.
Aspinall, meanwhile, hasn’t fought since July 2024. As such, there have been calls for a unification bout between the two fighters. But negotiations for the blockbuster bout have stalled over the months, and Jones’s recent revelation seems to suggest we may not ever get to see the two fight inside the octagon.
Speaking on a FaceTime call with MMA fighter Kamal Gadzhiev, Jones suggested that his UFC career might be over. “I’m done, I’m done,” he said in response to a question about his future as an active fighter. Hence, some fans weren’t too pleased when the topic of Jones’s legacy was brought up on social media.
Fans Criticize Jon Jones For Not Giving His Best in The Heavyweight Division
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), a former UFC fighter asked fans, “I will remember Jon Jones as _____________ ?” This led to a horde of replies calling out Jones for apparently ducking the Aspinall fight.
A fan didn’t mince his words, writing, “the guy who ruined Tom Aspinall’s prime….”
the guy who ruined Tom Aspinall's prime….
— Joe (@ALLIDOISUFC)
Another fan agreed with the sentiment and wrote, “Did the same thing to Francis too. How long did we wait for that fight.” Till last year, there were murmurs of a fight between Jones and Francis Ngannou, but fans were kept waiting with nothing materializing.
While one fan regarded Jones as a great lightweight, he felt his heavyweight legacy was underwhelming and pointed out, “Greatest light heavyweight of all time. His time in the heavyweight division has been a blemish on his career. He ducked Ngannou and Aspinall. Can’t be the GOAT and duck great fighters IMO.”
Greatest light heavyweight of all time. His time in the heavyweight division has been a blemish on his career. He ducked Ngannou and Aspinall. Can't be the GOAT and duck great fighters IMO.
— Robert Menke (@RobertBMenke)
There was more resentment among fans about Jones not being able to defend his heavyweight title more frequently. A fan noted, “The dude who somehow managed to not vacate a belt in spite of basically zero activity.” Jones suffered a pectoral injury in 2023 shortly after winning the title, which sidelined him for months. This limited his title defenses, and he only got back to action against Miocic late last year.
Jones wasn’t escaping ducking allegations as another social media user added, “The greatest fighter and duck of a generation.”
The dude who somehow managed to not vacate a belt in spite of basically zero activity
— Texanus Giganticus (@couchsecurity)
After Jones’s injury, Tom Aspinall stepped up to beat Sergei Pavlovich in November 2023 to become the interim champion. Since then, Aspinall has been waiting for a title unification bout, but to no avail.
The fighter recently expressed how draining it has been for him to bide his time for a shot at Jones.
Tom Aspinall Talked About Difficulties as He Awaits Fight With Jon Jones
With Tom Aspinall having not fought for close to a year, it has been a frustrating time for the 32-year-old British fighter. Jon Jones’s uncertainty over his future and delays over negotiations for a fight have only added to Aspinall’s misery.
Talking on Demetrious Johnson’s podcast, Aspinall admitted that waiting for Jones’s fight has been more taxing than the time when he was out for a year after suffering a knee injury against Curtis Blaydes in 2022.
“Now, I’ve been almost a year inactive with no prospects of anything apart from wait. So now is actually a little bit more of a tricky time for me mentally than it was then.” Aspinall said.
He further added, “It’s kind of difficult mentally, but this is the fight against Jon Jones. The fight is another thing, this is the tricky bit where I really have to stay switched on, stay motivated, and I’m trying my best. It’s tough sometimes.”
It seems like all Aspinall and many UFC fans want is for him to square off against Jones to crown the undisputed heavyweight champion. But this takes us back to the first question we asked: Will the fight ever happen?