Tom Aspinall Denies Disrespecting Jon Jones – ‘I’m Trying To Fight The Guy’
Tom Aspinall has reacted to his awkward interaction with UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
The duo recently crossed paths at the Arnold’s Sports Festival UK in Birmingham, England. During their interaction, Aspinall put his hand on Jones’ shoulder. Bones reacted by removing his hand, but they did have a respectful discussion. Aspinall requested a picture of a face-off with Bones, which the champion rejected. Instead, he offered Aspinall a side-by-side picture. While he took the picture, Aspinall made it clear that he wanted to fight Jones.
Aspinall vs Jones
“Are we going to do this thing?” Aspinall
“I would hope so,” Jones
“I would love to, man. Respect,” Aspinall
“Maybe one day,” Jones
Aspinall has been calling for the fight, especially following Jones’ injury. Bones pulled out of his UFC 295 title defense against Stipe Miocic. He suffered a sparring injury to his pectoral muscle, which required surgery. That was followed up by further surgery on his elbow, keeping him out for much longer.
Aspinall responded by calling on the UFC to strip Jones. This was with the aim of fighting Miocic for the title. The winner would then face Jones. Dana White dismissed that, leaving Aspinall with the choice to defend his interim title or wait on the sidelines. But the latest encounter hinted that the two fighters may not be on the best terms. However, Aspinall rejected claims that he was being disrespectful.
Aspinall Reacts
“I think he thought I was putting my hand on his shoulder being disrespectful. But I wasn’t there to be disrespectful. I was doing it in a friendly way, I’m not trying to cause any beef. I’m trying to fight the guy and take his belt. I have no beef with the guy and just wanted to meet him,” Apsinall said
“The Tom fight is definitely not off the table. Especially with how I’ve been feeling being out here. I feel just totally reinvigorated and just re-energized being around all these fans. So, I can’t just walk away. So, the ball is rolling in a really positive direction for me to continue my career,” Jones stated
Aspinall has backed himself to come out on top if the fight goes ahead. The Brit is in sensational form following his serious knee injury. He suffered his first loss in 2021 against Curtis Blaydes, getting a knee injury in the first round. He has since bounced back. Aspinall secured two first-round KOs against Marcin Tybura and Sergei Pavlovich, respectively. After sizing Jones up in their meeting, Aspinall was confident that he had the physical attributes to get the better of Jones.
“He’s alright, mate. First time I met him. He’s nowhere as big as I thought. I thought he’s a lot taller, but I guess when you fight at light-heavyweight your whole career, and you’re 6’4″, you look really tall. But I’m a full-grown heavyweight, aren’t I? He’s nowhere as big as me, but size doesn’t matter really. We’re both massive guys, but I’ll take that one. I think I beat him definitely,” Aspinall revealed
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