Tag: Stipe Miocic

Daniel Cormier says Tom Aspinall is making the right moves against Jon Jones: ‘massive win for Tom’

Tom Aspinall rips Stipe Miocic ahead of UFC 309: 'He needs to be Joe Biden'd'Hall of Fame star, Daniel Cormier claims current interim champion, Tom Aspinall is on the right track by taking…

Tom Aspinall rips Stipe Miocic ahead of UFC 309: 'He needs to be Joe Biden'd'

Hall of Fame star, Daniel Cormier claims current interim champion, Tom Aspinall is on the right track by taking his current tact against fellow champion, Jon Jones — claiming the Rochester native is simply “ducking” a title unification bout with him.

Aspinall, the current interim heavyweight champion, managed to avenge his single Octagon defeat earlier this summer at the end of July, landing a first round knockout win over perennial contender, Curtis Blaydes.

Tom Aspinall Stats
Image via: @yankees on Instagram

And staking his claim for a shot at the undisputed heavyweight championship later this annum in place of the returning, Stipe Miocic, Aspinall’s campaign has bared no fruit so far — with Jones in line to take on the Ohio native in November in the main event of UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden.

Tom Aspinall says the heavyweight champ is running from him: 'I will retire Jon Jones without even fighting him'

Daniel Cormier backs Tom Aspinall’s pursuit of Jon Jones fight

However, claiming the veteran former pound-for-pound number one, Jones is clearly avoiding a title unification bout with him later this annum, Aspinall’s tact has been praised by Cormier — a two-fight rival of Jones.

Interim Champion Tom Aspinall
Interim Champion Tom Aspinall

“The fact that he’s (Tom Aspinall) being as respectful as he was before is a massive, massive win for Tom Aspinall because before, it was easy to ignore him,” Daniel Cormier said on his podcast. “I believe that those guys should fight, but Jon (Jones) seems and I don’t know if he’s trolling. He really can be trolling because I don’t know Jon Jones to be openly saying, ‘I’m not just fighting that guy.’

In his most recent Octagon walk back in March of last year, former two-time light heavyweight champion, Jones managed to scoop the vacant heavyweight crown with a stunning first round win over Frenchman, Ciryl Gane.

Making his long-anticipated heavyweight divisional bow, Rochester veteran, Jones laid waste to the former interim titleholder with a first round guillotine choke submission win in the main event of UFC 285.

Jon Jones Continues To Justify Avoiding Tom Aspinall: ‘Francis Would’ve Knocked Out 98% Of People, But Somehow Stipe Is Washed?’

UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones won’t have his stance affected. The topic of Jones’ first title defense has long raged on. While it was initially set to come eight months on from his crowning in a divisional debut opposite Ciryl Gane, it’s now been 17 months since he completed multi-weight glory at the Frenchman’s expense. […]

Continue Reading Jon Jones Continues To Justify Avoiding Tom Aspinall: ‘Francis Would’ve Knocked Out 98% Of People, But Somehow Stipe Is Washed?’ at MMA News.

UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones won’t have his stance affected.

The topic of Jones’ first title defense has long raged on. While it was initially set to come eight months on from his crowning in a divisional debut opposite Ciryl Gane, it’s now been 17 months since he completed multi-weight glory at the Frenchman’s expense.

A planned bout against Stipe Miocic last November fell away due to an injury for Jones, throwing the division up in the air. The surging Tom Aspinall was subsequently crowned interim champ at the Madison Square Garden-held event.

But despite the presence of another titleholder, both Jones and the UFC have remained firm on plans to reschedule the clash with Miocic. Criticism of that only increased when the Brit defended his gold with a first-round knockout of Curtis Blaydes last month in Manchester.

Many of those against Jones and Miocic sharing the cage for the title have pointed to the latter’s layoff. The heavyweight legend hasn’t competed since suffering a brutal knockout at the hands of Francis Ngannou three and a half years ago and is now 42 years old.

But Jones has frequently dismissed the suggestion that he’s chasing a lower level of opposition, defending Miocic against those branding him “washed.” That trend continued in a social media post this week, with the Rochester native branding anyone who follows that line of thought a “casual.”

“Man, I appreciate the boss and the comments he made at last nights press conference. Sounds like I have some massive options on the table, an athletes dream,” Jones wrote. “Right now I need to get back to focusing on the task at hand. Despite what some of the casuals think, Stipe is really no joke. It’s crazy that we live in a world where you can go from the best heavyweight ever to washed up after a bad performance. The reality is Francis would’ve knocked out 98% of people on the planet that night, but somehow Stipe is washed up?

“Stipe not competing in so long tells me that he’s had plenty of time to heal and rebuild. Let me get back to focusing on the actual task at hand, that’s what got me this far. My focus, I do what others can’t,” Jones added.

Fans Make Their Voices Heard After Jones’ Latest Refusal To Unify UFC Heavyweight Division

Unsurprisingly, Jones’ latest post reiterating his avoidance of Aspinall and stance that nothing but a showdown with the returning Miocic should be next drew out plenty of reactions on social media.

While plenty berated the former light heavyweight champ, accusing him of “ducking” his British counterpart, some others backed Jones’ right to finish out his career in the way he chooses.

Continue Reading Jon Jones Continues To Justify Avoiding Tom Aspinall: ‘Francis Would’ve Knocked Out 98% Of People, But Somehow Stipe Is Washed?’ at MMA News.

Tom Aspinall Sneakily Reveals Why He Looks Up To Stipe Miocic More Than Jon Jones: ‘Don’t Make Me Say It!’

Tom Aspinall defended the interim UFC heavyweight title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. Since then, demands for a fight between him and the undisputed kingpin Jon Jones have increased significantly. Regardless, it looks like Jones will return to the Octagon against Stipe Miocic before the end of 2024. On top of that, the former […]

Continue Reading Tom Aspinall Sneakily Reveals Why He Looks Up To Stipe Miocic More Than Jon Jones: ‘Don’t Make Me Say It!’ at MMA News.

Tom Aspinall defended the interim UFC heavyweight title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. Since then, demands for a fight between him and the undisputed kingpin Jon Jones have increased significantly.

Regardless, it looks like Jones will return to the Octagon against Stipe Miocic before the end of 2024. On top of that, the former UFC light heavyweight champion has repeatedly hinted at hanging up his gloves after the fight.

Aspinall has always respected Jones and Miocic for their illustrious careers. However, he recently revealed why the latter is a better role model for him…

Tom Aspinall Isn’t A Fan Of Jon Jones And Anderson Silva Being Involved In PED Usage

Aspinall talked about Jones and Miocic on the official Michael Bisping YouTube channel recently. He praised both the veterans for their contributions to MMA but clarified that he relates more to the former UFC heavyweight champion.

“Well, I look to Stipe more because the… Don’t make me say it Anthony. Don’t make me say it!”

For starters, the interim UFC heavyweight champion believes that failing drug tests directly affects the legacies of greats like Jones and Anderson Silva. Despite holding some of the most celebrated UFC records, both fighters have been heavily criticized in MMA circles for PED usage.

“If there’s anything about drug tests going on, that’s a bit of an asterisk next to your name. Do you know what I mean? If there’s a drug test going. Same as, you know, when people talk about Anderson Silva being the best of all time. You know, he definitely was, but there was definitely some other stuff going on there.”

Miocic, on the other hand, has a record six title wins in the UFC heavyweight division. He’s never been accused of using PEDs, which is one of the main reasons why Aspinall picked him as a more suitable role model over Jones.

“I mean, I don’t know either guy personally but Stipe seems more my type of human being.”

Aspinall made sure not to delve into Jones’ personal life, though. He aims to fight “Bones” only to unify the UFC heavyweight title and has no interest in taking a jab at the veteran’s notorious past.

READ MORE: Sean Strickland Shares Unpopular Opinion On Former UFC Middleweight Champ: ‘I Just Don’t Think Izzy’s That Good!’

Continue Reading Tom Aspinall Sneakily Reveals Why He Looks Up To Stipe Miocic More Than Jon Jones: ‘Don’t Make Me Say It!’ at MMA News.

Dana White spurns Tom Aspinall, doubles down on Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic title fight

Dana White spurns Tom Aspinall, doubles down on Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic title fightUFC CEO, Dana White has once more claimed Tom Aspinall must lay in wait despite his constant calls for…

Dana White spurns Tom Aspinall, doubles down on Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic title fight

UFC CEO, Dana White has once more claimed Tom Aspinall must lay in wait despite his constant calls for a title unification fight next – insisting that fellow champion, Jon Jones will first off face off against former gold holder, Stipe Miocic before the end of the year. 

Aspinall, the current interim light heavyweight champion, most recently co-headlined UFC 304 at the end of last month in Manchester, landing his first defense of the interim crown in a one-sided first round knockout win over Curtis Blaydes. The victory saw Atherton native, Aspinall avenge his sole Octagon defeat in the promotion.

Jon Jones

As for Jones, the fellow heavyweight champion has been sidelined since he returned to make a long-mooted heavyweight bow back in March of last year, managing to scoop the vacant divisional crown.

Laying waste to former interim heavyweight champion, Ciryl Gane in his return to action, Rochester native, Jon Jones submitted the French contender with ease in the opening round to win vacant spoils in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jon Jones

Dana White backs Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic before Tom Aspinall hunt

And preparing for a return at UFC 309 in November in the main card of the Madison Square Garden event, Jones is gearing up for a grudge fight with consensus heavyweight great, Miocic – with White backing the pairing in favor of a title unification bout featuring Aspinall.

Jon Jones pleads not guilty to misdeameanor charges incident with drug testing agent

“When you say Jon Jones versus Tom Aspinall, does that mean we’re saying Stipe (Miocic) doesn’t deserve the fight?” Dana White toild Yahoo! Sports. “I mean, this fight was supposed to happen, Jon’s got injured and Stipe has paid his dues and has been here forever.”

“My job is to make the biggest fights I can possible make,” White explained. “I know everybody wants to see Aspinall but those two are gonna fight and whoever wins, hopefully, Aspinall is next and they’re gonna give Aspinall the opportunities they got when they were in their young careers to get to where they are today.”

On This Day: Stipe Miocic defeats Daniel Cormier to earn his last win in the UFC – August 15, 2020

On This Day: Stipe Miocic defeats Daniel Cormier to earn his last win in the UFC - August 15, 2020Four years ago today, Stipe Miocic scored his last UFC victory. Perhaps history will change when the consensus heavyweight…

On This Day: Stipe Miocic defeats Daniel Cormier to earn his last win in the UFC - August 15, 2020

Four years ago today, Stipe Miocic scored his last UFC victory.

Perhaps history will change when the consensus heavyweight GOAT makes his anticipated return to the Octagon this November. But for now, Miocic’s last win went down on August 15, 2020, after stepping into the main event spotlight at UFC 252 to close out his iconic trilogy with Daniel Cormier.

After coming up short against Cormier two years earlier at UFC 226, Miocic struck back with a fourth-round TKO over the former two-division titleholder at UFC 241, leaving the series deadlocked at 1-1. Fast forward almost 12 months to the day, Cormier and Miocic would go at it for a third and final time in total silence due to the COVID-19 pandemic that was already in full swing.

gettyimages 1266654375 612x612 1

Still, Miocic and Cormier delivered a final meeting to remember that ultimately saw the Cleveland native come out on top via a unanimous decision, retaining the heavyweight title and establishing himself as perhaps the best fighter in the division’s history.

‘DC’ retires after second straight loss to Stipe miocic

After suffering back-to-back losses against Miocic, that would be all she wrote for Daniel Cormier.

“I’m not interested in fighting for anything but titles and I don’t imagine there’s going to be a title in the future,” Cormier said in a post-fight interview. “That will be it for me. I’ve had a long run, it’s been great, I just fought my last fight for a heavyweight championship and it was a pretty good fight.”

Since then, Cormier has found success as a color commentator and analyst for the UFC. DC’ is also co-host of ESPN’s Good Buy/Bad Guy alongside former three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen.

Miocic, on the other hand, would go on to take another fight against eventual UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou. After shutting down ‘The Predator’ in their first meeting in 2018, Miocic was primed to repeat the process at UFC 260. However, Ngannou had other plans.

Less than 60 seconds into the second round, Ngannou blasted Miocic with a big left hand that bent the champ backward, forcing the referee to step in and call for the stoppage.

Stipe Miocic

Since then, the UFC has only produced two fights for the undisputed heavyweight title.

Miocic plans on becoming the division’s only three-time champion when he meets Jon Jones later this year. The two are expected to headline UFC 309 when the promotion makes its annual pit spot in Madison Square Garden. Originally, the two were set to tussle last November, but a pectoral injury forced ‘Bones’ to bow out of the bout.

Tom Aspinall: Stipe Miocic Needs To Be ‘Joe Biden’d’ To Allow Title Unification Against Jon Jones

Tom Aspinall is pushing for Stipe Miocic to be replaced in his potential bout with Jon Jones, much like Joe Biden was swapped out in the 2024 United States Presidential election. For context, Biden stepped out of the presidential race in July following a challenging debate against Republican nominee Donald Trump, which raised significant scrutiny […]

Continue Reading Tom Aspinall: Stipe Miocic Needs To Be ‘Joe Biden’d’ To Allow Title Unification Against Jon Jones at MMA News.

Tom Aspinall is pushing for Stipe Miocic to be replaced in his potential bout with Jon Jones, much like Joe Biden was swapped out in the 2024 United States Presidential election.

For context, Biden stepped out of the presidential race in July following a challenging debate against Republican nominee Donald Trump, which raised significant scrutiny about the sitting President’s mental readiness for another term.

Amid mounting pressure for the UFC to cancel Miocic’s planned title shot against the reigning heavyweight champion, UFC CEO Dana White has made it clear that the fight is still on. White has resolutely stood by his decision to reschedule the matchup, which was originally set for November 2023 at UFC 295 but had to be postponed after “Bones” suffered a serious pectoral injury.

Consequently, Aspinall capitalized on the opportunity at UFC 295, stepping in to claim the interim heavyweight title with a knockout of Sergei Pavlovich. The 31-year-old Salford native has eagerly called for a title unification bout against Jones. However, “Bones” has consistently dismissed the challenge, showing more interest in rebooking his showdown with Miocic instead.

The British powerhouse then defended his interim title against Curtis Blaydes with a first-round knockout at UFC 304, avenging his only UFC defeat. Following this triumph, Aspinall made it clear that his sights are set solely on a title unification bout as his next challenge…

Aspinall Targets Miocic’s Slot In Upcoming Jones Fight

During a recent interview with TNT Sports, Aspinall suggested that Miocic should follow Biden’s lead and step aside for the upcoming title clash against Jones, which is expected to take place at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 16.

“Get Stipe out of there; let’s be honest. The guy is 43 years old, he’s had a four-year layoff, and his last fight was a knockout loss,” Aspinall said. “Granted, he’s an absolute legend in this sport. He’s the best heavyweight ever — like statistically, he’s the best heavyweight ever. But the guy needs to be pulled out of the race. The guy needs to be Joe Biden’d, mate. He’s too old. No one’s that interested anymore. And I respect Stipe a lot. Pull him out, stick me in. It’s right though, isn’t it? It is right. Who’s got bothered about that anymore?”

Miocic is set to turn 42 on August 19. The former two-time UFC heavyweight champion was seen in action in March 2021, when he lost his title in a crushing second-round knockout defeat to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260.

Meanwhile, Jones last graced the Octagon at UFC 285 in March 2023, where he captured the heavyweight title with a dominant submission victory over Ciryl Gane.

Continue Reading Tom Aspinall: Stipe Miocic Needs To Be ‘Joe Biden’d’ To Allow Title Unification Against Jon Jones at MMA News.