Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall: Five things to consider as top UFC veterans take stance

Despite its history of being a hit-or-miss division at any given time depending on star power and depth (or lack thereof), heavyweight is hot for the UFC at the moment.

No, former champion Francis Ngannou is not walking through that door after exiting promotions in both the PFL and professional boxing. But a potential generational bout between heavyweight champion Jon Jones, also known as the GOAT of the sport, and rising interim titleholder Tom Aspinall is on the horizon.

Whether or not you believe that fight will take place in 2025, when Jones (finally) recovers from injury to face 42-year-old former champion Stipe Miocic in November, fans and media alike can’t stop debating the possibility of whether the 37-year-old Jones will act on his impending retirement hints ahead of such an important heavyweight summit.

But before you start wondering who’s right and who’s wrong in this soap opera, let’s take a closer look at five things to consider about the Jones-Aspinall situation.

1. Jon Jones’ retirement threats have more to do with fighter pay than fear

While UFC CEO Dana White’s recent high praise for Jones has seemed almost laughable, he’s not wrong when he points to the former light heavyweight king’s history of showing no fear in the face of whatever fearsome challenge he faced inside the Octagon. And Jones, whose only career loss came by disqualification in 2009 (and should be overturned given recent rule changes to 12 to 6 elbows), has plenty of reason to be confident as he possesses possibly the most impressive resume in the history of the sport. Critics of Jones won’t be wrong in pointing out that his recent three-year sabbatical from the sport coincided perfectly with Ngannou’s championship reign (and that Jones didn’t return to the Octagon until Ngannou inked his UFC deal But the onus for Jones’ initial exit from regular competition, which led to vacating the 205-pound title in 2020 and eventually announcing a move to heavyweight, was all about fighter pay and Jones’ desire to be compensated what he calls “Deontay Wilder money” ($25-30 million) for taking such a dangerous risk of moving up in weight.

To be fair, Jones should be paid a lot more, even if he’s been plagued by problems outside the cage, because he’s had a great career and has been a consistent pay-per-view headliner for the company (since 2011). Jones is still the best fighter in the UFC, Tiger Woods-level. And if the best player in the sport can’t be paid more for a big fight with Aspinall, who can? While Jones’ retirement talk and constant dissing of Aspinall isn’t any fan’s favorite response, let’s not overlook how important it is for Jones to keep up this front in public negotiations with the UFC so that he can reap as much benefit as possible when he defeats Miocic and the fight with Aspinall truly comes to fruition. If the UFC really wants Jones-Aspinall, they have to pay for it. And given the promotion’s year-after-year record of financial success, Jones deserves it.

2. Tom Aspinall’s social media campaign is increasing the pressure on Jones

At 6-foot-5 and with the hand speed of a middleweight, the 31-year-old Aspinall has all the qualities needed to push our expectations of the athleticism and skill of a modern UFC heavyweight. But if he doesn’t get the chance to face a legend with historical relevance and star power (like Jones, Miocic or Ngannou), it’s fair to question how much casual and crossover fans will really care, given how quickly the division’s roster flattens after those big names leave. Because of this, a strong argument can be made that Aspinall not only needs Jones, but he’s been making all the right moves recently by going on social media and aggressively challenging Jones’ manhood (including falsely joking that Miocic is injured and Jones needs a new opponent). But it’s even more valuable because Aspinall’s words have put a lot of promotional pressure on Jones lately as White is constantly being asked about it (which has led to him repeatedly saying he hopes the Jones-Aspinall fight happens). Even if Jones enters the Octagon at UFC 309 in November with plans to never fight again, it will be up to Aspinall to show up cageside and do his part to create some sort of viral moment that leaves Jones with no other choice but to beat Miocic to unify the titles and silence the noise of his critics.

3. It’s interesting that Georges St-Pierre got a free pass and Jones didn’t.

This, of course, could simply be a matter of liking among the fanbase as GSP remains almost universally beloved while Jones, who has had his share of controversies and issues with the law, is a person just like any champion in UFC history. But facts are facts as we continue to deal with the possibility of Jones’ retirement. And St-Pierre, after returning from a four-year retirement in 2017 to dramatically capture a second UFC title by submitting Michael Bisping for the middleweight crown, was faced with a similar dilemma. According to White, GSP signed a deal to fight Bisping (who, despite being the champion, was past his prime, not unlike Miocic) under the condition that despite what White was told, St-Pierre had no intention of staying active after the Bisping fight and his retirement was never mentioned negatively after that. The similarities between Jones and GSP in this case cannot be overlooked.

4. Aspinall’s recent developments have immediately eliminated the need for Jones-Ngannou

In a perfect world, would Jones and Ngannou have already fought to keep a perfect heavyweight dynasty alive? Without question. But Ngannou has been anything but active as an MMA fighter since his last UFC appearance in January 2022. Although Ngannou plans to end a 33-month MMA break when he makes his PFL debut in October after two bouts in boxing, a few are still talking about the possibility of whether the UFC would ever consider a cross-promotional bout. And a big part of that reason is Aspinall’s rise since Ngannou’s departure. Despite the horrific knee injury Aspinall suffered 15 seconds after his TKO loss to Curtis Blaydes in 2022 (his only UFC loss) and the subsequent year off to recover, Aspinall has been the talk of the division over the past two years. Not only has Aspinall finished every single opponent in 15 pro wins, but he still has never fought beyond the second round. And the four-pack of first-round finishes he has collected since Ngannou left the UFC is incredibly impressive considering Aspinall has defeated Alexander Volkov, Marcin Tybura, Sergei Pavlovich, and Blaydes (in their rematch). There’s no doubt that Jones-Ngannou is a fight that offers more star power. But Aspinall has made it so that replacing him is just as important as determining who the best heavyweight in the world is right now.

5. If any UFC fight needs a dome or outdoor stadium, it’s Jones-Espinall

White has long been hesitant to move the UFC from basketball and hockey arenas to big showcase venues like AT&T Stadium in Texas or the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, citing sight lines and customer experience. But stadium fights like GSP’s 2011 win over Jake Shields at Toronto’s Rogers Centre or Holly Holm’s 2015 defeat of Ronda Rousey at Marvel Stadium in Australia have become cultural legends of sports history in their respective markets. Can you imagine how big a fight like Jones-Aspinall would feel in an English football stadium, just as heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua regularly fills stadiums sized at 90,000 for his biggest nights?