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

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: 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.

UFC Commentator: Jon Jones Losing To Tom Aspinall Isn’t ‘Legacy Diminishing,’ But He Must Get Big Money For The Fight

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones made it perfectly clear in the aftermath of his UFC 309 main event win that if the promotion wants him back inside the Octagon for a huge fight, they’ll have to get the chequebook out. “Bones” has already mentioned getting “F*** you” money for a return and that is likely […]

Even with a fight as big as Jones vs the light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, being one of two options, most fight fans are leaning towards the other. The only issue being that the heavyweight unification fight is something that the consensus greatest of all time doesn’t seem overly interested in.

Though he’s said that he doesn’t think a fight with Aspinall adds to his legacy, many have criticized Jones for avoiding the fight because it’s the biggest threat to his stellar record. UFC commentator Jon Anik believes that even if he was to lose to the interim champion, it wouldn’t tarnish all of the incredible performances he has put on inside the Octagon.

However, with the threat that Aspinall brings to the table, Anik agrees with Jones that he would deserve a career-high payday for this fight not just because of how big it is but because of the risk in taking it. He told MMA Junkie that the assurance of receiving a huge purse to end his career on could be the turning point that makes this fight happen.

“I think what he wants is like that $30, $40, $50 million payday which he so deserves at this point in time because in heavyweight MMA, anything can happen and certainly in light heavyweight, anything can happen but the consequences are so great when it comes to four ounce gloves with these guys chucking that I mean yeah, Tom Aspinall could knock Jon Jones out in a minute and I don’t think it’s legacy diminishing whatsoever but you better make $30 million because then at that point in time, maybe Jon Jones doesn’t want to have another training camp and rematch Tom Aspinall or have two or three more fights.”

Jon Jones’ Coach Says They’ve Solved More Complex Problems Than Tom Aspinall Before

With Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall both recently claiming that they’ve been speaking to the UFC about what’s next, the conversation regarding the promotion’s two heavyweight champions isn’t going anywhere just yet. The debate as to whether Jones is avoiding a title unification with the interim champion dominated the talking points both before and after […]

For many fans, the key reason that they want to see this fight instead of Jones against Alex Pereira, which is certainly the direction that “Bones” has been leaning, is because of the match-up itself. Whilst the heavyweight champion taking on the light heavyweight champion would be a huge fight, Aspinall presents different problems.

Pereira is an incredibly dangerous striker but as Dana White said himself, going up to heavyweight to face an elite grappler like Jones is a huge ask even for “Poatan” who has defied expectations throughout his entire run in the UFC. In a recent interview with Inside Fighting, Jones’s coach Brandon Gibson spoke about the match-up with Aspinall.

He believes that Aspinall’s greatest strength, his ability to finish fights so quickly, also creates question marks which may not have existed with previous opponents that they have beaten in the past. Those same unanswered questions aren’t there with Pereira, even if a fight between him and Jones would create other problems instead.

“He’s had a great heavyweight career so far. I think there’s still a lot of unknowns which could be a benefit to Tom but also a lot of those unknowns could be a big benefit to us like how is he going to do in deep water? How is he going to do in later rounds? There’ll probably be a lot of pressure on him to try to start fast so with all that said, Tom’s not a match-up, like we have respect for all of these great opponents and champions but I think Jon has solved a lot more complex problems.”

Jon Jones’ Coach Says They’ve Solved More Complex Problems Than Tom Aspinall Before

“He’s had a great heavyweight career so far. I think there’s still a lot of unknowns which could be a benefit to Tom but also a lot of those unknowns could be a big benefit to us like how is he going to do in deep water? How is he going to do in later rounds? There’ll probably be a lot of pressure on him to try to start fast so with all that said, Tom’s not a match-up, like we have respect for all of these great opponents and champions but I think Jon has solved a lot more complex problems.”