Chael Sonnen recently spoke wisdom about the Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall situation and devised a cunning game plan to end the controversial saga.
Everybody knows who Jon Jones is. For seemingly eons, he’s been the pinnacle of the world’s toughest sport. He is the crème de la crème of MMA, and that has not came without controversy.
Dana White once said the most brilliant thing about Jon Jones that anybody has probably ever said: that the man could’ve been the Lebron James of MMA. It’s true. From a hit and run on a pregnant woman, to failing PED tests, and more. Jon Jones has been a controversial figure in the game for a very long time. Not Lebron James-like at all (who has never been in any scandals and has always been a great role model).
Now, at the end of his career, there’s more controversy for Jones. Tom Aspinall defeated the terrifying knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich to capture an interim heavyweight title, and Aspinall beat him at his own game. In Aspinall’s own words, he has had his Michael Bisping moment. He knocked out the fearsome Russian and captured the throne.
Yet, he didn’t really capture the throne. Since Jon Jones is the undisputed heavyweight champion, Aspinall captured more of an imitation throne. Like a less meaningful replica almost. Now, Aspinall’s legacy will be forever marred. The electric British man wants action with Jon Jones, but Jones doesn’t want to play. Cue the controversy.
Chael Sonnen Explains how Jon Jones can settle the Tom Aspinall Controversy
Speaking on his podcast, You’re Welcome, Chael Sonnen spoke out about his former rival and the current controversy surrounding him.
“Jon does not enjoy that side of [MMA], he doesn’t understand it,” Sonnen said (H/T MMA Fighting) “He thinks the most money, the most accolades should go to whoever can beat up the most people. So Jon could end it. He could end something that he doesn’t want to keep continuing by saying one word, which is yes. But you want to know something?”
“Jon Jones could also end this by saying one word, which is no. ‘No, I’m planning to do one more. My plans have not changed for you. I plan to fight Stipe Miocic, who’s great. Stipe might be the one to bring me down. We’ll find out that night, but he might not. That’d be another notch and it will be enough. My plans don’t involve you.’ He could do that.”
“Daniel Cormier dismissed effectively Curtis Blaydes. I was there the night that he did it, he did it on the ESPN desk. He’d just got done fighting, Curtis had called him out and Daniel was a gentleman. He said, ‘Hey, that guy’s good. He’s got reach, his striking’s improved, a national champion wrestler, he’s younger, and he’s got a great career in front of him. But he and I will never share the octagon.’ And Daniel didn’t say it’s because it’s not a competitive fight. He didn’t say he was better than him. He didn’t even say he could beat him. He said, ‘I’m a champion, I get [pay-per-view] points. I fight people that have big names. You don’t.’”
“He leveled with him straight up,” Sonnen continued. “Never got into who’s better, whose legacy, who should remembered more. Daniel told the actual truth, which is, ‘I can’t make any money fighting you. You’re a dangerous fight that doesn’t bring money. Winning fights doesn’t get you to me, just so you know. I know they’ve told you that, but it’s not true. I know the magazines tell you that getting a high ranking brings you to me — I’m letting you know now, it doesn’t. Win over the crowd that’s willing to stop what they’re doing, part with their money and time to watch you, and that’s how you get to me. And you didn’t do that.’”
Sonnen Continues Spitting flame
“It was so effective, it was never discussed again,” Chael Sonnen continued. Curtis Blaydes versus Daniel Cormier, when Daniel was champion, was never discussed again. So Jon Jones could come out and say, ‘You’re young and you’re good and I’m not looking for that. No.’ Or he could say, ‘You suck. No,’ but it would still be definitive and he could end this. Or he could say, ‘Yes. Let’s stick with the plan. I have Stipe first and then I will come see you.’”
Sonnen firmly believes that Jon Jones is making this situation worse for himself by not just speaking out and being firm about his choice. Aspinall has been relentless in his pursuit of either Stipe Miocic or Jones and has been largely succeeding in turning fans against Jones (not that he needed much help for that).
“It’s kind of like, why does he not get himself a driver? Why would he not part [with] some money? If you’re giving a stripper $10,000 that you’re never going to see again, why would you not hire a writer for $10,000? He’ll work, he’ll be there the whole year. That’s about what it would cost for somebody to manage your Twitter page — about $10,000 for the whole year for a real top guy, a WWE guy, a guy who has worked in Hollywood. A real top professional writer, that’s about what it would cost. And you know Jon doesn’t have a driver, that’s how he’s got DUIs, and you know he doesn’t have a writer, that’s why he’s got typos.”
“What is it that we’re doing? What is it we’re trying to do?” Sonnen continued. “Jon could end this by saying yes or no. Jon has the power either way. His reasons don’t matter, at all.
“There’s a way to get some clarity, there’s a way to muddy these waters, and there’s a way to do what Daniel did and say, ‘You’re just not popular.’ Whatever the reason is, you’ve got to give a guy an answer, yes or no, or we just keep doing this. Generally, I would be OK [if this feud continued]. Like if this was Conor [McGregor] or somebody entertaining or fun, I would hope that it would continue. [But] you guys aren’t fun. This is boring.”
Do you think Chael Sonnen was on-point with his critique of how Jon Jones has been handling this situation?