Only a few UFC fights cross over and capture the wider combat sports audience, but Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall definitely fits into this category. Although Francis Ngannous has left the UFC, a fight between him and Jon Jones would also grab the attention of a wider sporting audience.
There’s no point discussing these potential dream matchups in detail if they’re unlikely to happen, though. Given that Ngannou and his relationship with Dana White have soured so badly, it’d be a surprise to see him ever fight Jones. That is unless the Saudi Arabian money that has resulted in a massive transformation in boxing, bringing down the barriers between promoters and fighters, becomes prevalent in the UFC.
Jones and Aspinall have dominated the UFC news for the last 12 months. The fight might be close to happening at times, but that likelihood has lessened throughout the second half of 2024. It’s been a huge talking point on various podcasts and is a fight that invariably gets the adrenaline flowing.
While it falls short of being an MMA podcast, the Team Ignition podcast focuses on activities that get the blood pumping and the heart racing and have people on the edge of their seats, too, aiming for the same type of thrill-seeking audience that goes wild for the big MMA bouts. Nothing gets the juices flowing for fans like a fight between Jones and Aspinall – but will it ever happen?
The Legacy Of Jon Jones
As divisive of a character as Jones is outside of the Octagon, there’s no denying the legacy that he has created within it. Many UFC fans still consider him the number one pound-for-pound name in the sport and one of the top 5 names that has ever graced the sport.
As the New Yorker approaches the latter stages of his career, many believe that a fight against either Aspinall or Ngannou will cement his legacy as the greatest fighter of his generation, and if he can beat both of them, arguably the greatest of all time.
Jones has only lost once, via a disqualification, and while he has spent lengthy periods outside of the Octagon, his resume is one of the best in the sport. Some fans have accused Jones of wanting to protect this record, saying the younger, fresher fighter Tom Aspinall seriously threatens his reign as UFC heavyweight champion.
However, Jones looked fresher than ever last time out when he choked out Ciryl Gane in the first round. Whichever way a potential fight gets broken down between the pair, there’s no disputing that a bout against Aspinall is a legacy and career-defining fight.
Chances Of An Aspinall vs Jones Showdown
Given that the Brit is the interim champion, there’s only so long the two can go without meeting at a crossroads, where Jones will either need to vacate and retire or try and take down the Englishman. The chances of the fight happening in 2024 have essentially been put to bed following the announcement that Jones will be defending his heavyweight crown against Stipe Miocic in November, in a fight that has been widely criticized and that nobody asked for or expected.
If Jones despatches Stipe with relative ease, as widely anticipated, no matchup makes sense apart from Aspinall. The podcast discussions following UFC 304 highlighted that Aspinalls had maneuvered himself into a position where the Jones fight had to happen following his win against Curtis Blaydes.
It’s unlikely that Jones is scared of facing Aspinall, as some have suggested. No professional fighter is scared of another; politics or issues outside the Octagon can often delay or stop a fight, and Jones has racked up enough of those over the years. But for someone like Jones, who has dominated the top of the sport for as long as he has, destroying viable contenders, he’s not scared of Tom Aspinall.
Final Verdict
Now that Saudi Arabia money has entered the UFC, Jones vs. Aspinall is undoubtedly the fight they will look to make. It has the highest commercial value and the most interest among ardent UFC fans and casual fans who tune in for the big events.
With this money in the sport and Jones having what appears to be a tune-up fight against Stipe, 2025 could be the year that Aspinall and Jones finally meet in the Octagon. Initial odds put the Brit as a favorite. He’s younger, hungrier, and fresher. But as Jones showed when he lost when he fought Gustafson in the rematch, he’s a frightening force when firing on all cylinders.
He dismantled Gustafson in the rematch; few heavyweights in UFC history would be able to contend with him once he’s pumped up and inspired to fight.
The Aspinall and Ngannou fights are the only two left for him in a sport he has been the King of for so long. Whether age catches up to him or Aspinall is simply a fighter who is just as good but with added freshness on his side, it’s guaranteed to be an enthralling fight if they ever decide to settle the score. Let’s hope UFC politics doesn’t stop it from happening.
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