Jones walked out on an interview with the UFC’s UK broadcast partner after recognizing the interviewer from videos with Tom Aspinall
The champ is here! Wait, the champ is gone!
Jon Jones has been generating a ton of headlines over the past few days as he discusses his potential fighting future. He’s suggested fighting Alex Pereira for the BMF belt, relinquishing the heavyweight title so he doesn’t have to fight No. 1 contenders, and taking ‘fun fights’ against Jamahal Hill and Derrick Lewis.
As for interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who’s been left twisting in the wind for the past year? He’s the one guy Jones will absolutely positively not fight because he and his fans are ‘assholes.’ If “Bones” decides to expand on that, he’ll only do it with a pro-Jones media outlet because he isn’t going to talk to Aspinall-associated people.
Video from UFC’s UK broadcast partner TNT Sports shows Jon arriving to do an interview and then walking out once he recognized who would be asking the questions.
Jon Jones WALKS OUT of an interview because he doesn’t want Tom Aspinall questions pic.twitter.com/GaqsDtxRWV
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) November 14, 2024
“Hey, I’m not gonna do this interview,” he said as he left. “You know, because it’s going to be an Aspinall-fest. I’m not going to do it. Come on, let’s go.”
“Hey bro, nothing personal,” Jones said later to Adam Catterall, the interviewer he ditched. “I see how close you guys are. Common sense tells me what type of questions I’m going to get asked.”
“You’re entitled to,” Catterall replied. “Speak to who you want to.”
Catterall co-hosts a show with Aspinall on TNT Sports called Fight Lab. Eventually, Jones would sit down with a more neutral TNT Sports presenter, Nick Peet.
Some fans have suggested Jones’ anti-Aspinall campaign has all been part of a meticulous promotional scheme to build up a fight between the two. We want to assure you that this is not what’s going on. Jones is at a point in his career where he’s done fighting ‘the next guy.’ He wants to fight who he wants to fight. Unfortunately for us fans, his interest gets real low when presented with a stylistic challenge who’s favored to beat him.
No one likes a sandbagger. It’s why we hate Jake Paul. It’s why Canelo Alvarez got piled on for fighting Edgar Berlanga in his last fight. It’s why even a Jones vs. Pereira superfight would be overshadowed by the specter of Aspinall. Because when you’re the best, people want to see you fighting the best. Anything else is rightfully perceived as a waste of time.
Jon Jones clearly doesn’t want to hear that.