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Tom Aspinall Breaks Down Crucial Aspect Of Ciryl Gane & Alexander Volkov’s Rematch

A big heavyweight rematch is set to take place in Las Vegas this weekend as Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov meet again at UFC 310. As two of the top three ranked contenders in the division, both men could set themselves up for a title fight in the near future with a win here. If […]

If interim champion Tom Aspinall doesn’t end up getting his desired title unification bout with Jon Jones, the Brit could be targeting a clash with Gane or a rematch with Volkov, giving him a specific interest in this matchup. He has been spoken about as a potential opponent for Gane multiple times and the Brit has already beaten Volkov when they faced off in London two years ago.

If that didn’t provide the interim champion with enough to work off, there’s also the five rounds that Gane and Volkov have already spent with each other inside the Octagon back in 2021 where “Gon Gamin” won a one-sided unanimous decision. In a recent episode of Tom Aspinall’s Fight Lab on TNT Sports, he broke down the fight.

Aspinall specifically drew attention to one aspect of the contest which he thinks will be crucial on Saturday night. With the height and reach advantage that he brings to the table, Volkov is very effective at walking opponents down but the speed and footwork of Gane are his best attributes.

Whoever is able to win this battle will be able to dictate where the fight takes place and therefore, will likely get their hand raised in Aspinall’s opinion.

“The feet are very important in this fight in my opinion. When I say the feet, I’m not talking about the kicking as such, I’m talking about the positioning of their feet. If Volkov can get him going backwards and keep him against the fence, he can just use that length and tee off on him with the kicks and the punches like we’re seeing there. On the contrary to that, Cyril Gane is really good moving backwards, that’s his strength is he lures his opponents in and moves off on them angles so it’s just an interesting matchup of styles and we love heavyweight fights.”

Tom Aspinall Reveals What Surprised Him Most About Watching Jon Jones Up Close

Tom Aspinall claims that it wasn’t his intention to make the UFC 309 fight week about him even if he was weighing in as the back-up fighter. The main event at Madison Square Garden featured two of the greatest champions in the history of the promotion colliding for the very first time and yet, a […]

From Jones walking out of interviews to Aspinall chants at the press conference, the presence of the interim champion was clearly felt in New York. After successfully weighing in as the back-up, once it was clear that he wouldn’t be needed, he changed his focus.

His new goal was to enjoy the fights and watch the man that could be his next opponent if he gets the fight that he wants. Everyone who has been an MMA fan for some time will have seen Jones fight before because he’s been at the top for so long.

However, Aspinall was able to leave the world’s most famous arena with some new observations after watching the GOAT live and in the flesh. In a recent episode of Tom Aspinall’s Fight Lab on TNT Sports, he broke down his main takeaways from the fight.

The interim champ highlighted one aspect of the fight that he didn’t see coming, crediting Jones’ aura in the cage and Miocic’s age as the reason why “Bones” was able to dictate the action.

“Something that surprised me sitting up close was the footwork. Maybe not the footwork as such but just the constant forward motion of Jon Jones and Stipe was just kind of left to go side-to-side with his feet constantly. He was never really on the front foot which is surprising because Stipe is a natural heavyweight, Jon Jones obviously coming up from light heavy. I wouldn’t think that Jon would have the prowess in the Octagon to push him back constantly which I was pretty surprised by.”

Dan Hardy Declares Jon Jones ‘Certainly Not’ the Best Heavyweight: Ngannou vs. Aspinall Tops the Debate

Jon Jones may be the undisputed GOAT, but he’s certainly not the best heavyweight in the world. Looking at…

Jon Jones may be the undisputed GOAT, but he’s certainly not the best heavyweight in the world.

Looking at today’s heavyweight landscape, three names undeniable stand out above the rest — Tom Aspinall, Francis Ngannou, and Jones. Which one actually tops the list will vary depending on who you’re talking to at any given time, but former UFC fighter Dan Hardy thinks that no matter what, ‘Bones’ is likely at the bottom.

Of course, the current Head of PFL Europe means no disrespect toward the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. He just can’t see Jones matching the speed of Aspinall or the power of ‘The Predator.’

“I think Jon Jones is the pound-for-pound best,” Hardy explained when speaking to MMA Fighting. “I think he’s the best representation of mixed martial arts generally that we’ve ever seen. I think he’s still evolving, which is terrifying. But is he the best current heavyweight on the planet? I don’t think so.

“I think the winner of Aspinall versus Ngannou would be the answer … no disrespect in any way to Jon. Current heavyweight champion but not the current best heavyweight on the planet. Certainly not.”

Hardy commends jon jones experience and unmatched fight IQ

Hardy however does recognize that when it comes to experience and fight IQ, there is nobody better than Jon Jones. Unfortunately, those two things don’t always win the day when matched against a heavyweight that moves like a lightweight or an African powerhouse who hits like a runaway freight train.

“The creativity of Jon Jones and the wisdom, the fight IQ, that reigns supreme,” Hardy said. “I just wonder if he’s got that ability in the heavyweight division with someone as fast as Tom Aspinall and someone as powerful as Francis Ngannou. There were times when Stipe [Miocic] landed [on Jones at UFC 309] and I think if Ngannou lands those shots, Jon Jones doesn’t get back up.

“I also think the speed of Tom Aspinall would allow him to land punches against Jon Jones and Ngannou that both of those guys wouldn’t see coming and wouldn’t be able to stop. The question is would he be able to do that kind of damage to knock them out. I don’t know. I’ve seen Francis take some big shots. I know obviously he got knocked out by Anthony Joshua but at the same time, you’re talking of an elite level boxer who’s an incredible athlete at the same time. I mean, it’s just so difficult to pick one.”

While seeing Ngannou take on either Jones or Aspinall feels pretty unlikely at this point, a title unification clash between Jones and Aspinall seems almost guaranteed after more than a year of uncertainty on Jones’ part.

Following his impressive showing against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, ‘Bones’ left the door open for a return and sounded willing to sign on the dotted line for whatever fight Dana White and Co. wants to book next — so long as the promotion comes correct with their offer.

Dan Hardy Declares Jon Jones ‘Certainly Not’ the Best Heavyweight: Ngannou vs. Aspinall Tops the Debate

Jon Jones may be the undisputed GOAT, but he’s certainly not the best heavyweight in the world. Looking at…

Jon Jones may be the undisputed GOAT, but he’s certainly not the best heavyweight in the world.

“I think Jon Jones is the pound-for-pound best,” Hardy explained when speaking to MMA Fighting. “I think he’s the best representation of mixed martial arts generally that we’ve ever seen. I think he’s still evolving, which is terrifying. But is he the best current heavyweight on the planet? I don’t think so.

“I think the winner of Aspinall versus Ngannou would be the answer … no disrespect in any way to Jon. Current heavyweight champion but not the current best heavyweight on the planet. Certainly not.”

Hardy commends jon jones experience and unmatched fight IQ

“The creativity of Jon Jones and the wisdom, the fight IQ, that reigns supreme,” Hardy said. “I just wonder if he’s got that ability in the heavyweight division with someone as fast as Tom Aspinall and someone as powerful as Francis Ngannou. There were times when Stipe [Miocic] landed [on Jones at UFC 309] and I think if Ngannou lands those shots, Jon Jones doesn’t get back up.

“I also think the speed of Tom Aspinall would allow him to land punches against Jon Jones and Ngannou that both of those guys wouldn’t see coming and wouldn’t be able to stop. The question is would he be able to do that kind of damage to knock them out. I don’t know. I’ve seen Francis take some big shots. I know obviously he got knocked out by Anthony Joshua but at the same time, you’re talking of an elite level boxer who’s an incredible athlete at the same time. I mean, it’s just so difficult to pick one.”

Dan Hardy: Jon Jones ‘Certainly Not’ World’s Best Heavyweight

Jon Jones isn’t just the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, he’s largely considered to be the greatest of all time. However, as Dan Hardy spoke about in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s the best in his weight class right now. Many believe that with the sheer amount of heavyweights […]

Many believe that with the sheer amount of heavyweights he has beaten compared to Jones, interim champion Tom Aspinall might be the best in the weight class even if he doesn’t have the longevity of somebody like “Bones” just yet. Francis Ngannou left the UFC without ever losing his heavyweight title and in his PFL debut against Renan Ferreira, he showed that he also has to be in the conversation.

Hardy believes that if there was a fight to decide the best heavyweight on the planet, Jones wouldn’t even factor into the equation.

“I think Jon Jones is the pound-for-pound best. I think he’s the best representation of mixed martial arts generally that we’ve ever seen. I think he’s still evolving, which is terrifying. But is he the best current heavyweight on the planet? I don’t think so.

“I think the winner of Aspinall versus Ngannou would be the answer … no disrespect in any way to Jon. Current heavyweight champion but not the current best heavyweight on the planet. Certainly not.”

Hardy went on to describe Jones as “bottom of the rung” in regards to the incredible physicality that Aspinall and Ngannou bring to the table as legitimate heavyweight-sized competitors though he would hold advantages in other areas.

“The creativity of Jon Jones and the wisdom, the fight IQ, that reigns supreme. I just wonder if he’s got that ability in the heavyweight division with someone as fast as Tom Aspinall and someone as powerful as Francis Ngannou. There were times when Stipe [Miocic] landed [on Jones at UFC 309] and I think if Ngannou lands those shots, Jon Jones doesn’t get back up.

“I also think the speed of Tom Aspinall would allow him to land punches against Jon Jones and Ngannou that both of those guys wouldn’t see coming and wouldn’t be able to stop. The question is would he be able to do that kind of damage to knock them out. I don’t know. I’ve seen Francis take some big shots. I know obviously he got knocked out by Anthony Joshua but at the same time, you’re talking of an elite level boxer who’s an incredible athlete at the same time. I mean, it’s just so difficult to pick one.”

Randy Couture to Jon Jones: If You’re the GOAT ‘Step Up and Fight’ Francis Ngannou or Tom Aspinall

MMA legend and multi-time UFC champion Randy Couture says that it’s time that Jon Jones stepped up to the…

MMA legend and multi-time UFC champion Randy Couture says that it’s time that Jon Jones stepped up to the real challenges of the heavyweight division. Francis Ngannou and Tom Aspinall were both ducked by the current heavyweight champion.

Randy Couture

The Natural’ Randy Couture is a five-time UFC champion having collected titles in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. He is best known for his rivalries against fighters such as Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, and Tim Sylvia.

Despite the Olympic wrestler being a trailblazer in the sport, he is on the UFC’s naughty list as he was constantly clashing with the brass on his rights and contractual disputes. In the 2000s, he walked away from the UFC to pursue a fight against the all-time great heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko as the UFC refused to co-promote with the organizations that had the contract of Fedor.

Randy Couture reveals gnarly aftermath of fight with UFC rival Pedro Rizzo I couldn't walk for 6 weeks

Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou or Tom Aspinall

‘Bones’ Jon Jones vacated his light heavyweight title after having an all-time great career running through the division. He then moved to heavyweight and captured the throne and later defended it against the aged Stipe Miocic while avoiding the interim champion Tom Aspinall. Additionally, while Francis Ngannou was the UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones refused to step up the heavyweight at that time instead he chose to wait until the Cameroonian fighter had left the organization.

Francis Ngannou PFL — Photo by Tim Wheaton

Enough is enough according to Randy Couture. According to him, Jon Jones must face Aspinall or Ngannou for the sake of his legacy even if it requires co-promotion. In a recent interview with talkSPORT, Couture said:

“That was certainly the fight I pursued for a long time—to fight Fedor. It never happened. I think that that conversation, obviously, we’re still having it right now. And Jon Jones—as much as he doesn’t wanna fight Francis—is gonna have trouble avoiding that. Now he says he didn’t wanna fight Tom. I mean, why? You’re supposedly the GOAT. Step up and fight whoever they want you to fight.

“I’m not in Jon’s head, so I couldn’t tell you. I think, you know, he needs to step up and fight the guys they want him to fight. You can’t shy away from guys, anybody, honestly. So, I mean, that’s a challenge. But certainly, Tom has earned—earned a crack and deserves that. Whether Francis—and they do a co-promotion or cross-promotion—that, you know, that’s something that… our sport is still very anti-competitive.

“There’s no transparency in the sport. There’s no way to do those types of cross-promotions.The restrictive nature of the contracts in the promotions themselves prevents that. That’s why the Fedor fight never happened. One wanted to do a co-promotion with the UFC, and the UFC wasn’t willing to do that. I don’t think their attitude on co-promotion has changed. So that will be a big challenge—to see Francis get in there with Jon or Tom, if Tom beats Jon.”

Francis Ngannou currently holds the lineal UFC titles as he left the organization without losing the crown. He then competed in blockbuster boxing matches and picked up the PFL heavyweight title.

Couture is currently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia part of the broadcast team for PFL 10 2024 on November 29 which features the tournament final bouts.