According to Daniel Cormier, a fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall is likely to happen at some point.
For nearly two years, the potential heavyweight title clash between Jones and Aspinall has been a major topic in MMA, yet concrete progress is minimal. While UFC CEO Dana White maintains the fight will occur eventually, Jones has grown more vague and hesitant about the matchup. Meanwhile, Aspinall awaits his chance to unify the belts. Cormier suggests the delay stems from Jones confronting a new reality: finding himself as the veteran in the sport.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cormier commented, “Now, Jon is a 38-year-old looking at a 30-year-old who is bigger, younger, and fresher – the roles have reversed. He`s thinking, `I no longer see the wear and tear on their faces; I see it on my own.` He witnessed this with Stipe Miocic, who appeared older after his time away. Now, facing a young fighter, Jones seems less enthusiastic.”
Cormier clarified, “He isn`t scared, let`s be clear. But I believe it`s enough to cause hesitation. And you know what I suspect is a major concern for him? Against Aspinall, there`s a real possibility he could be knocked out. I mean, genuinely knocked out, lying flat and unconscious. I`m uncertain he wants the world to see that image of himself. He`s knocked out many opponents, but he`s never experienced it himself – because I`ve seen myself defeated, and I always think, `God, that`s such a terrible image.`”
Jones has famously never been knocked out in his professional career; his sole defeat came by controversial disqualification. In contrast, Aspinall has finished his last three adversaries via knockout in a total time of just 3 minutes and 22 seconds. This stark difference is what makes the potential matchup so captivating for fans, pitting arguably the sport`s greatest ever fighter against perhaps his most formidable opponent to date. However, many fans are starting to doubt if the fight will ever materialize. Despite this, Cormier remains optimistic, believing that Jones`s ego alone will prevent him from retiring without facing Aspinall.
“I doubt he would vacate his title without fighting Aspinall,” Cormier stated, “because the image and lingering perception would be that `He ran from him,` and I`m unsure his ego could bear the idea of running from someone. The thought of people believing he`s scared carries more weight for him than stepping into the octagon and taking the risk. Especially considering there`s a genuine possibility he could simply outclass Tom Aspinall. There is a genuine possibility he could step in there and outclass Tom Aspinall; you just don`t know. Therefore, I believe he will fight him. I don`t think the UFC will need to strip him; I think he will fight him. Even though he could retire and declare, `I`m the greatest, I have nothing left to prove,` the notion that he avoided a challenge will be too compelling a factor as he moves into the next stage of his career.”
