Despite the fact he has been forced from a UFC 295 heavyweight championship fight this weekend, Jon Jones has opened as a sizeable betting favorite over incoming interim title challenger, Tom Aspinall, as fans clamor to see a fight between the two in the future.
Jones, the current undisputed heavyweight champion and current pound-for-pound number one fighter on the organization’s books, was slated to headline UFC 295 this weekend at Madison Square Garden, taking on the returning former two-time titleholder, Stipe Miocic, until an injury forced him from the bout.
Snapping a three-year-plus hiatus from the sport back in March, Endicott native, Jon Jones suffered a pectoral tendon tear ahead of his UFC 295 title fight with Miocic, forcing him from the flagship event, and resulting in the introduction of an interim heavyweight championship into the division.
As for Aspinall, the Atherton native will now challenge surging Russian heavyweight knockout artist, Sergei Pavlovich in an interim title fight – with the victor expected to face either Jones or Miocic next year in a title unification bout, with the latter pairing earmarked to be rebooked once Jones returns from injury.
Jon Jones opens as betting favorite over Tom Aspinall
However, a slew of markets are already offering odds on a future fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall – with the former opening as a -195 betting favorite to beat the British heavyweight, who is a current +165 betting underdog.
If onlooking punters or bettors are looking to place bets – both prop and outright on this weekend’s action at UFC 295 in ‘The Big Apple’, they can check the proven casinos with high payouts before so, in order to determine the best markets and bookies to stick their bets on with.
Landing the vacant heavyweight crown at UFC 285 back in March, Jon Jones returned for the first time since 2020 – stopping former interim heavyweight champion and French favorite, Ciryl Gane with a blistering opening round guillotine choke – adding to a trophy cabinet which also boasts two separate runs at undisputed light heavyweight champion.
Himself returning to the Octagon back in July of this year on home soil atop a UFC Fight Night London card, Briton contender, Aspinall turned in a spectacular first round knockout win over Marcin Tybura at The O2 Arena – having suffered a debilitating knee injury the year prior in another main event bout against Curtis Blaydes.
During his initial winning run under the banner of the Dana White-led promotion, Aspinall, the current number four ranked contender picked up notable victories over the likes of Sergei Spivak, and Alexander Volkov, as well as a submission win over former undisputed heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski.
Tasked with surmounting the challenge that is Sergei Pavlovich this weekend in Madison Square Garden, Aspinall would become just the second fighter in the promotion to defeat the former Fight Nights Global champion, who dropped a knockout loss to Alistair Overeem in his Octagon debut.
Also featured on UFC 295 this weekend; a vacant light heavyweight title fight featuring former Octagon champions, Jiri Prochazka, and Alex Pereira is set to take main event honors in the organization’s return to New York City.
Who wins in a future fight ahead of UFC 295: Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall?