UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall had inside information from Jon Jones`s circle during the former champion`s recent trip to Thailand.
Aspinall`s pursuit of the undisputed UFC heavyweight title took an unexpected turn when Jon Jones announced his retirement last weekend. This news was confirmed by UFC CEO Dana White and subsequently by Jones on social media.
Following Jones`s retirement, the UFC promoted Aspinall to undisputed heavyweight champion. He is expected to compete again by the end of the year. The potential fight between Jones and Aspinall had been a subject of much speculation for months.
However, Aspinall claims his doubts about the fight only emerged recently, after he learned about Jones`s alleged activities during his time overseas.
Aspinall: Jones`s Rumored `Behavior` Signaled Doomed Fight
Earlier this year, Jones was in Thailand for a planned role as a coach against Nate Diaz in a new season of *The Ultimate Fighter*. The show was abruptly canceled after an incident on set led to Diaz and his team departing.
After the cancellation, Jones remained in Thailand for personal time. According to Aspinall, he knew individuals who spent time with Jones there and provided him with details about Jones`s conduct amidst ongoing fight negotiations.
During an appearance on *The Ariel Helwani Show*, Aspinall was asked when he began to doubt the fight would happen.
“A few weeks ago,” Aspinall responded. “Everybody seemed to think that Jon was playing this game of ‘Let’s make Tom not think I’m giving him the fight, and then I’ll just spring it on him’. But the MMA community, at the highest level, is a pretty small world.”
He continued, “And I know people who have been out in Thailand, similar times that he was there. And I know people who were around his circle, and I know that from the behavior he’s doing outside the Octagon, that he’s not going to fight anytime soon.”
Aspinall was pressed further on his reaction to hearing about Jones`s rumored activities.
“I honestly think I’ve got to be one of the easiest people for the UFC to ever work with. And that’s not me blowing my own trumpet, everything they’ve told me, I’ve done,” Aspinall stated. “They just told me for a year, ‘Be ready, stay fit, stay in shape and be ready for a date and a contract’. And that’s what I’ve done for the last year, I haven’t done anything else.”
“No vacations, no days off. I’m looking after my diet, recovery, doing the sparring, strength and conditioning and learning new techniques. Everything that a professional fighter at the elite level should be doing to get ready for a fight. That’s all I’ve done for the last 10 months, or whatever it’s been. It’s a bit of a strange situation, but I’m just so glad it’s done and I can move on.”
With Jones`s retirement and Aspinall as the undisputed champion, the UFC`s heavyweight division is poised for more activity. Aspinall`s first defense could potentially be against one of Jones`s previous opponents.
Potential Opponent for Aspinall`s First Undisputed Title Defense
Former interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane recently suggested that negotiations for a fight with Aspinall were underway. Gane`s last fight was a win over Alexander Volkov in December.
Aspinall and Gane have been linked to potential fights before. However, Aspinall has previously accused Gane of declining multiple fight offers, including one prior to UFC 295 where Aspinall won the interim title.
Alexander Volkov is another fighter considered a potential opponent for Aspinall`s first title defense. Despite some recent hints from Jones about a comeback, it appears the former champion`s return is not imminent, if it happens at all.
Gareth Pendleton