Tag: Jon Jones

Jon Jones’ Coach Claims Tom Aspinall Has Been On The Radar Since Before Heavyweight Move

UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is sure to be one of the most talked about fighters of the week despite the fact that he isn’t set to compete at UFC 309 on Saturday night. Many believe that it should be him facing Jon Jones in a title unification clash at Madison Square Garden rather […]

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UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is sure to be one of the most talked about fighters of the week despite the fact that he isn’t set to compete at UFC 309 on Saturday night. Many believe that it should be him facing Jon Jones in a title unification clash at Madison Square Garden rather than Stipe Miocic.

During his time away from the Octagon due to the injury he suffered ahead of UFC 295 last November, Jones has been very outspoken about Aspinall and a potential fight with him. It’s been a huge talking point throughout this year with some accusing the champion of ducking the interim titleholder.

Whilst Jones has recently stated that he doesn’t believe that the Brit has accomplished anything significant enough to make him interested in the fight, that isn’t to say that Aspinall hasn’t been someone that he’s known about for a long time. This is something that Jones’ long-time striking coach Brandon Gibson recently spoke about in an interview with Submission Radio.

Gibson revealed that Aspinall’s rise to the top of the heavyweight division isn’t surprising because he’s a fighter that the team have had their eyes on for some time now, dating back to when Jones was planning his move to heavyweight during his long hiatus after vacating the light heavyweight belt.

“No, no surprise at all. You know back in the day when Jon was originally making his move up to heavyweight, we thought Francis was going to be the opponent and we were studying the heavyweight landscape. Aspinall was a guy that we’ve always had our eye on, for years now. He’s very smooth, great takedowns, he’s a finisher and in heavyweight, that’s a powerful thing. He has incredible footwork and defense so Aspinall’s been a guy that we’ve already had an eye on for sure.”

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Magomed Ankalaev Becomes Latest To Brand Jon Jones ‘Scared’ Of Tom Aspinall, Champ Hits Back

The pressure on UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones to fight Tom Aspinall is continuing to mount just days away from his first title defense. Jones will return to the cage 20 months on from his crowning in March 2023, when he debuted at heavyweight by rapidly submitting Ciryl Gane to capture the then-vacant belt. While […]

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The pressure on UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones to fight Tom Aspinall is continuing to mount just days away from his first title defense.

Jones will return to the cage 20 months on from his crowning in March 2023, when he debuted at heavyweight by rapidly submitting Ciryl Gane to capture the then-vacant belt.

While his first challenger was also penciled in last year, an injury forced Jones out of a Madison Square Garden headliner opposite the returning Stipe Miocic. A year on, the pair will give their matchup another go in the main event of UFC 309 at MSG.

That, however, is despite the presence of an interim titleholder in Aspinall, who had gold wrapped around his waist after knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in their late-notice clash last November, which replaced the original Jones vs. Miocic showdown.

Having also defended his strap in the months since, Aspinall has plenty of backers when it comes to his calls for a unification fight. But not only did Jones dismiss that for his upcoming defense, he’s also seemingly planning to either hang up his gloves or target the champ from below, Alex Pereira, should he get past Miocic on Saturday night.

“Bones” has been responding to much criticism online for that stance, and though that’s seen him hit back at fans for the most part, his latest back and forth came with the top contender in the division he formerly ruled.

Commenting on a social media post detailing Jones’ recent remarks about favoring a clash with “Poatan” over his interim counterpart, Magomed Ankalaev joined in with those suggesting the Rochester native is ducking Aspinall.

“Sound like someone (scared) of big TOM,” Ankalaev wrote.

It didn’t take long for Jones to take notice of the Russian’s words, branding him ‘jealous’ and challenging the surging light heavyweight to replicate his résumé on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

“Magomed jealousy won’t earn you legend status, my friend,” Jones wrote. “Train harder, hate less. Want to truly insult me? Break some of my records first. Let’s get started.”

It stands to reason that Aspinall will be a prominent topic throughout UFC 309 fight week, especially given the interim champ’s presence in New York City as the backup fighter for the main event.

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Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’

Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’Jon Jones can’t wait to use 12-to-6 elbows in his return to the Octagon. On November 16, ‘Bones’ will…

Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’

Jon Jones can’t wait to use 12-to-6 elbows in his return to the Octagon.

On November 16, ‘Bones’ will compete for the first time since scoring a quickfire submission victory over Ciryl Gane to claim the undisputed UFC heavyweight title 20 months ago. In the time since, much has changed when it comes to the MMA rule set.

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As of the first of the month, 12-to-6 elbows are no longer an outlawed maneuver, much to the chagrin of Daniel Cormier.

Of course, Jones’ only professional loss in his career came as the result of a controversial DQ for using 12-to-6 elbows against opponent Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in 2009.

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Now that Jones can freely let his downward elbows fly, he plans on using them to punish Stipe Miocic when the two heavyweights headline UFC 310 in Madison Square Garden.

“It just makes me wish that disqualification was overturned — that’s the biggest feeling I had when I learned that rule is no more,” Jones told Kevin Iole. “On the other hand, I accept the move more than ever now, and I’ve been training extensively on different 12-6 elbow attacks.

“It’s funny because it’s been such a no-no move, so you train yourself not to go there,” Jones continued. “Now that I’m able to use that strike … it’s a very devastating strike because it opens up so many more options, both on the feet and on top. I’m excited to be one of the first UFC athletes to legally display it at Madison Square Garden” (h/t MMA Mania).

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Jon Jones’ controversial DQ loss likely to never be overturned despite recent rule change

For what it’s worth, the California State Athletic Commission’s executive director Andy Foster fully supports the idea of overturning Jones’ lone loss.

“I didn’t like the way it was enforced back then, but that was 14 years ago,” Foster told Ariel Helwani. I think there were — look, we’re talking about 14 years later. At the time, I thought there were other ways you could handle that situation rather than flat giving the guy a loss,” Foster said. “The rule is what it was then; it’s different now. It would be hard to go back…I’d be actually supportive of getting rid of [his loss], but it’s not my decision.”

Unfortunately, it’s not likely to happen. Perhaps we’ll see ‘Bones’ take out some of that frustration on the consensus heavyweight GOAT in New York City.

Jon Jones Fires Back at NBA’s James Johnson Over Bold Fight Challenge: ‘This Man Sounds Crazy

Jon Jones Fires Back at NBA's James Johnson Over Bold Fight Challenge: ‘This Man Sounds CrazyJon Jones is tired of hearing NBA journeyman James Johnson run his mouth. Last year, Johnson — a forward…

Jon Jones Fires Back at NBA's James Johnson Over Bold Fight Challenge: ‘This Man Sounds Crazy

Jon Jones is tired of hearing NBA journeyman James Johnson run his mouth.

Last year, Johnson — a forward for the Indiana Pacers who has played for no less than 11 NBA teams since being drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2009 — boldly claimed that he could beat undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones if given a year to hone his ground game.

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“I would need a year,” he said on the NBA Rookie Life podcast. “My standup game is great but what we all know with Jones is he’s a collegiate wrestler, really good on the ground and that’s not my forte. I can get on the ground. To his level? I’m not there yet I’d definitely need a year to work on counters and defenses against it so that we can stay on our feet.”

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Johnson echoed a similar sentiment during an appearance on the OGs Podcast, once again claiming that he could beat ‘Bones’ and that he’d have an advantage while striking with the consensus GOAT.

“I truly, truly believe that [I can beat Jones]. I’ve been doing this my whole life,” Johnson said. “Like, real training would really be for that groundwork. As far as standing up in a fight, I feel like I got an advantage.”

Jon Jones snaps back at James Johnson

Jones never responded to Johnson’s initial comments. Instead, he allowed the internet to thoroughly drag the NBA star on social media. But after seeing Johnson double down on his original statement, ‘Bones’ finally opted to address his “crazy” claim.

“I didn’t realize until now that basketball players got CTE as well, this man sounds crazy,” Jones wrote on Instagram.

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Johnson’s comments initially came after a report claimed he had amassed a 20-0 record as a kickboxer and was an undefeated mixed martial artist before making pro basketball his career. However, a quick Google search found that there was no evidence of Johnson ever competing in combat sports of any kind.

Jon Jones Shrugs Off ‘Ducking’ Aspinall Accusations: ‘Oh No, My World Is Over’

Jon Jones seems in no mood to entertain claims that he’s dodging a potential clash with Tom Aspinall. Jones is locked in to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the highly anticipated main event of UFC 309, set for Nov. 16 at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City. During a […]

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Jon Jones seems in no mood to entertain claims that he’s dodging a potential clash with Tom Aspinall.

Jones is locked in to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the highly anticipated main event of UFC 309, set for Nov. 16 at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City.

During a recent interview with MMA journalist Kevin Iole, “Bones” decisively dismissed the notion of facing interim champion Aspinall next, should he triumph over Miocic at UFC 309. He argued that, despite Aspinall’s persistent calls for a title unification fight, the Brit has yet to prove himself worthy of sharing the Octagon with him.

Instead, Jones hinted that the fight he’s truly eyeing after next weekend is a high-stakes showdown with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, a bout that would solidify his legacy for good.

Jones has faced fierce backlash from a segment of the MMA community, with accusations swirling that he’s “ducking” a showdown with Aspinall. The drama recently spilled onto social media once again, where “Bones” fired back at his critics in a post that has since been deleted.

“I’m going to hide in my mansion and not come outside, people are calling me a duck come oh no my world is over” Jones tweeted. “What is this high school? lol”

Soon after, the longtime former UFC light heavyweight champion posted a more introspective reply, emphasizing that his actions are driven by purpose and that he remains unfazed by external criticism.

“As at this point in my career, every decision is rooted in purpose,” Jones posted. “My journey isn’t dictated by hype or outside opinions—it’s about crafting a legacy that speaks for itself, one step at a time. I’m here to do what’s right for my career and my legacy, with a vision that’s clear and unshakable. Focused, driven, and in complete control of myself. The story continues, and it’s unfolding exactly as I’ve envisioned.”

UFC 309 will mark Jones’ long-awaited return to the Octagon after more than a year on the sidelines since claiming the heavyweight title with a victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023.

He was initially slated to defend his title against Miocic at UFC 295, but the New Yorker was forced to withdraw just two weeks before the fight due to a torn pectoral muscle.

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Jon Jones Picks Alex Pereira Over Tom Aspinall As Preferred Next Opponent

Jon Jones will defend his UFC heavyweight championship for the first time against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. After winning the title against Ciryl Gane in March 2023, the newly crowned champion suffered a shoulder injury that delayed his fight with the former UFC heavyweight kingpin. While many fans are interested in watching two legends […]

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Jon Jones will defend his UFC heavyweight championship for the first time against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. After winning the title against Ciryl Gane in March 2023, the newly crowned champion suffered a shoulder injury that delayed his fight with the former UFC heavyweight kingpin.

While many fans are interested in watching two legends face each other before they hang up their gloves, others simply want the UFC heavyweight division to move forward. Tom Aspinall has defended his interim UFC heavyweight belt once and has finished most top contenders in the first round.

Jones is a considerable favorite against Miocic, and while he’s teased retirement in the past, he discussed potential future opponents during an interview on the Kevin Iole YouTube channel.

“Tom Aspinall, is, I don’t want to say nobody but, he just hasn’t proven anything. He hasn’t done anything and I understand that, I mean he won his belt against Sergei. Sergei just got slaughtered by someone else, so, it’s just like, I’m not here to gamble someone else making a name off of me,” He continued. “A guy that’s still on our UFC roster that would be, not only financially worth it, but, legacy worth it, would be Alex Pereira.”

When asked if he would fight Aspinall after beating Miocic, Jones outright rejected the current interim UFC heavyweight champion. He compared the English heavyweight to Johnny Walker, who many thought could dethrone “Bones” at light heavyweight.

“Bones” mentioned that he’s accepted a fair amount of risky fights back in the day, and he now only expects an opponent that makes sense to him financially and legacy-wise. On these grounds, he named Alex Pereira a more exciting fight than Aspinall.

Unsurprisingly, “Bones” is being called out for not giving any credit at all to an interim champion with a title defense. That said, it’s hard to speculate on the future of the heavyweight division accurately until the UFC 309 main event concludes.

Continue Reading Jon Jones Picks Alex Pereira Over Tom Aspinall As Preferred Next Opponent at MMA News.