Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos thinks Tom Aspinall is the real heavyweight king.
Aspinall is the current interim heavyweight champion as he scored a first-round knockout over Sergei Pavlovich back in November. The current heavyweight champion is Jon Jones who won the title in March with a submission win over Ciryl Gane but has not fought since then due to injuries.
Given that Jones hasn’t fought in a year, dos Santos views Aspinall as the real heavyweight champion.
“He’s the man of the moment, so he should be considered the champion,” dos Santos said on MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast. “If Jon Jones doesn’t return soon, you have to remove his belt and make Aspinall’s belt undisputed. I think he’s doing great, he really is very tough and skilled and competent at what he does. It’s a new moment for the heavyweight division in the UFC.”
Junior dos Santos says Jon Jones – StipeMiocic doesn’t need the belt attached to it
Although dos Santos thinks Tom Aspinall is the real heavyweight champ, he knows the UFC won’t strip Jon Jones because they want the fight against Stipe Miocic to be for the belt.
However, the Brazilian thinks Jones vs. Miocic doesn’t need to be for the belt for people to care, so he thinks the UFC should strip Jones.
“The belt is obviously the goal for every athlete, but more to crown the position they are today,” dos Santos said. “The belt is a symbol that you’re No. 1, but Jon Jones and even Miocic, we already know they are the No. 1 and No. 2, or at least that they’re at the top of the division. Actually, Renan [Ferreira] just got in the mix. [Laughs.]
“But I think they’re both extremely experienced and have long careers, so they should do what’s best for them. There’s no point to fight only to fight, or to do things that they don’t believe in at this stage of their careers. Let’s see what happens next.”
Although dos Santos thinks the UFC should strip Jones, it does seem unlikely that will happen.
Do you agree with Junior dos Santos?