Ahead of his UFC 309 return, heavyweight champion, Jon Jones has made his feelings abundantly clear about Tom Aspinall – referring to the interim titleholder as an “asshole” and reiterating he has no intentions to fight him next.
Jones, who headlines UFC 309 this weekend at Madison Square Garden, is slated to take on former two-time champion, Stipe Miocic, in a rescheduled pairing following a failed matchup a year prior.
Out of action himself since March of last year, Rochester native, Jon Jones most recently racked up the vacant heavyweight crown with a stunning opening round guillotine choke win over Ciryl Gane, submitting the Frenchman with relative ease.
And during his time away from the Octagon, Atherton native, Aspinall landed an interim title success, stopping Sergei Pavlovich with a first round knockout, before defending the throne in a June stoppage of two-time foe, Curtis Blaydes.
However, confirming his intentions to fight light heavyweight best, Alex Pereira in a floated symbolic BMF title fight ahead of a title unification matchup with British heavyweight star, Aspinall, Jones issued an ultimatum to organizational brass today, claiming it was the Brazilian or bust.
“If the UFC doesn’t want [the Alex Pereira fight] to happen… then it won’t happen and I’ll just move on with my life,” Jon Jones told assembled media. “Would you guys rather lose me, or get one more superfight? And that’s with Alex Pereira.”
Jon Jones shuts down fight with “asshole” Tom Aspinall
And during the same media availability today, Jones claimed both Aspinall and his fans were “assholes” – and for that reason, he had no intention of ever going into business with him in the form of a title unification pairing.
“If I’m being completely honest, I feel like Tom’s been such an asshole that I don’t want to do business with him.
“His fans have been so annoying and obviously you don’t get this far in a career being affected by fans or what not, but he’s just an asshole”