According to former two-division champion, Daniel Cormier, a fan “uprising” by the end of this month could force the UFC’s hand into a long-awaited fight between heavyweight stars, Jon Jones, and Tom Aspinall.
Later this month in Manchester, interim heavyweight champion, Aspinall returns to co-headline UFC 304, taking on perennial contender, Curtis Blaydes in a defense of his interim crown as the duo lock horns for a second time.
And long-linked with a title unification fight against the previously mentioned, Jones, Atherton native, Aspinall will lay in wait for his chance to unify the belts, with the former expected to headline UFC 309 in November against the returning, Stipe Miocic in a rescheduled showdown at Madison Square Garden.
Tom Aspinall offered potential route to Jon Jones fight
Despite the fact the duo are on separate collision courses with altering foes, the above-mentioned, Cormier claims if Aspinall manages to land a stunning victory over Blaydes at UFC 304, an uprising from fans could force the hand of the UFC to book him against Jones.
“Could you imagine if Tom Aspinall just washes out Curtis Blaydes,” Daniel Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Then the firestorm that would start to gather for him to fight [Jon] Jones? For there to truly be an uprising, it would have to be Aspinall destroying Blaydes. Only because of this: You’ve see Curtis Blaydes lose before, so people would think, ‘Oh, he beat Tom Aspinall, but we’ve seen him get beat by Francis (Ngannou) and lose to other guys.’”
“…There may be such a fan uprising that the UFC may have to be forced to make Jones vs. Aspinall,” Cormier explained. “I don’t know what that would mean for my man Stipe (Miocic), but it sounds like if it does happen, he’s okay with it.”
Who do you think wins in a future fight: Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall?