As per a new update on the potential Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall UFC Heavyweight title fight, the undisputed champion has demanded a prep time of six months for the fight. The development has startled the experts as five months have already passed since Jones last stepped inside the Octagon. Jon Jones made his much-anticipated return in November 2024 at UFC 309. He fought Stipe Miocic in the main event of the mentioned fight night and retained his title by pulling off an incredible spinning heel kick KO on the veteran. Jones has since remained coy over his future plans.
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Jon Jones Needs 6 Months to Prepare for the Fight Against Tom Aspinall
According to famous MMA Journalist Ariel Helwani, UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has requested six months of preparation time for a potential championship unification meeting with interim champion Tom Aspinall 'once it is locked in', implying that a summer clash is unlikely.
Despite numerous requests for it to happen, the heavyweight title bout has yet to be made official, with Jones still in talks with UFC officials and Aspinall 'bored' as ever waiting on the sidelines for a date that may never come.
Aspinall, who earned his title in November 2023, presently has the second-longest interim title reign in UFC history. Jones has taken his time unifying, instead knocking out Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November.
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Daniel Cormier On Jon Jones Asking For 6 Months' Time
Although details of Jones' new timeframe have been made public, former rival and fellow two-division champion Daniel Cormier does not believe "Bones" is avoiding Aspinall.
“Money’s good,” Cormier said of Jones’ ongoing situation with UFC on his YouTube channel.
“[Jones is like] ‘Even if you bring me the money, the timing is what I need to fight this guy…’ Why?
“Do you think that he’s just kind of steering into this whole, he just doesn’t wanna fight Tom Aspinall thing ’cause Tom Aspinall was celebrating after Pereira lost because he felt like Jon Jones could not use [Alex] Pereira anymore as a crutch to try to make that fight.”
“They need to make this fight,” Cormier said of Jones vs. Aspinall. “I think Jon’s kinda steering into this— I feel like Jon likes to play into people going, ‘He’s afraid of Tom Aspinall, he doesn’t wanna fight Tom Aspinall…'”
As Jones and Cormier were a part of one of UFC's greatest-ever rivalries, DC knows a thing or two about his rival for the ages.
“He’s not afraid of Tom Aspinall. He’ll fight Tom Aspinall,” Cormier said of Jones.
“I think he’s messing around with people, man. I think it’s fun for this dude. This dude made a lot of money and he’s been the champion for so long that he really doesn’t need to fight anybody anymore.”