Aspinall Told Not To Wait On Jones – ‘Get Another Fight’
Demetrious Johnson has told Tom Aspinall not to wait for Jon Jones as he may be wasting his prime years.
Aspinall earned his shot at the UFC Heavyweight Belt after stopping Curtis Blaydes in his last fight. During UFC London, Tom was seen holding a toy duck, hinting that Jon Jones is avoiding him. With Alex Pereira losing to Magomed Ankalaev, Jones may have no choice but to face Aspinall. The heavyweight champ has faced criticism for not fighting Francis Ngannou, and now fans are questioning whether he’ll avoid Aspinall, too.
Jones has sent mixed signals about the fight. He claimed that beating Aspinall wouldn’t add to his legacy, but also said he’d fight anyone if the money was right. Reports indicate Jones wants six months to prepare for this fight. Aspinall believes Jones is hesitant, just like he was with Ngannou.
“Yes, absolutely (he’s scared). The thing with Jon: Jon is conning the public, man. I’m not disputing that he’s an amazing fighter. I think the fact that he didn’t want to fight (Francis) Ngannou for three years, and now he doesn’t want to fight me over a year, and just the way he manipulates the media and the public is super smart. I’m not taking anything away from him. But do I think he’s scared to take the tough fights at this stage in his career? Absolutely. I can (understand it). I respect it. But if you’re going to ask me the straight-up question, ‘Is Jon Jones afraid to fight me?’ The honest answer would be yes,” Aspinall said
Johnson On Aspinall
Dana White is confident the fight will happen, but with no official announcement, Johnson suggested Tom look elsewhere.
“If I was Tom Aspinall, I’d be like, ‘God, dude, like I’m not waiting six months. Like, y’all need to get me another fight. But then again, this could be the biggest fight of his career if he’s able to beat Jon Jones. I have mixed feelings on the six months. I think that Tom Aspinall should take another fight. I think when you put a athlete who’s very young like that on ice and they don’t get that ring time, they don’t get that opportunity to get out there and just fight and make the money, it’s a little bit different. If I was Tom Aspinall, I’ll say, ‘Jon Jones wants six months, I’m going to pass on that fight, I’m going to fight somebody else, I’ll defend the interim heavyweight championship,” Johnson said
If Aspinall does not get the Jones fight, he could target a bout with Ciryl Gane. The latter missed out on the heavyweight title when he faced Jones at UFC 285. He came up short in a first-round submission loss. Aspinall has accused Gane of ducking him, while the latter has maintained that he is ready for the challenge. But the main priority will be on securing the Jones fight.
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