Jon Jones isn’t taking it easy on Tom Aspinall, as the former heavyweight champion looks to get payback on the reigning champion with interest. Their rivalry has simmered for years, but tensions escalated when Jones, as champion, delayed the title unification bout against then-interim champion Aspinall. During this period, Aspinall and his camp tried to humiliate Jones in various ways, even publicly mocking him by calling him a “duck.” Then, the moment for Jones’ payback finally came during Aspinall’s first title defense at UFC 321 a few weeks ago, which ended in a no-contest after a double eye poke from Ciryl Gane rendered the Brit unable to continue.

This forced Tom Aspinall to quit, drawing immediate criticism and giving Jon Jones a much-needed opportunity for payback. Following that, Jones updated his social media profile picture to a duck wearing an eye patch. He didn’t stop there. He further intensified the rivalry by making a grand entrance at the DBX 4 ceremonial weigh-in on a horse, also sporting an eye patch, underscoring the depth of their feud. Now, a week later, Jones has shared the reason behind these mocking gestures.

Jon Jones opens up on why he mocked Tom Aspinall with an eye patch meme

The verbal sparring may have started with Tom Aspinall, but Jon Jones made sure he landed the final blow in their ongoing rivalry. Recently, Jones appeared on the No Script show with Jerdani Kraja and Zayd Hussein following the Dirty Boxing event. During the discussion, the host asked the 38-year-old, “What’s with the, having fun with the eye patches?” Jones responded, “I’m having fun with it. Yeah. It’s like, you know, he had at it with me. It had a long time coming at me. So, it’s just… to keep the fans engaged, and it’s just to keep things fun.”

Before UFC 321, many viewed Tom Aspinall as potential kryptonite for Jon Jones. However, their anticipated showdown never happened, as Jones retired without ever facing him. Then, when Aspinall finally entered the octagon to defend his first title against Ciryl Gane, anticipation was at its peak. In the opening round, Gane broke Aspinall’s nose, leaving him bleeding, and later, a double eye poke occurred. Naturally, this series of events led many to speculate that Aspinall might have been seeking an early exit from the fight.

Adding to the discussion, UFC CEO Dana White also weighed in, giving another layer of scrutiny with his unusual remark: “You can’t make someone continue if they feel injured. [Gane] had Tom bloodied up, and Tom didn’t want to continue in the fight. Only Tom knows what happened. Could he see? Couldn’t he see? Only he knows,” Dana White said at the post-fight press conference.

At the same time, with the doctor confirming nothing “dangerous” in Aspinall’s eyes, Jon Jones raised an eyebrow, further seeing Aspinall’s actions as suspicious and drawing comparisons to his previous behavior.

Jon Jones calls out Tom Aspinall for quitting too quickly

In the summer of 2022, British heavyweight Tom Aspinall entered the Octagon riding a five-fight winning streak, looking to extend his dominance in front of a roaring hometown crowd at London’s O2 Arena. Fans packed the arena, eager to see their hero deliver another career-defining performance. However, the night took an unexpected and heartbreaking turn. Just 15 seconds into the opening round, Aspinall suffered a devastating knee injury while throwing a kick, bringing his momentum to an abrupt halt and forcing a long layoff from the sport.

Fast forward to today, and the recent eye-poke controversy has once again put Aspinall’s toughness under scrutiny. Jon Jones, in particular, has questioned the Brit’s willingness to push through adversity. During the same interview, Jones said, “Tom, when Tom gets hurt, it’s like he’s immediately incapacitated. Immediately. You shut down. It’s like you poked my eye, and then he’s like immediately—there was no, like, he never tried to look. It was a rag on the eye immediately. Dude, I would have been the silliest-looking cat on national TV just trying. He didn’t try. Trying. He didn’t try.”

So, what do you make of Jon Jones’ remarks? Do you think Tom Aspinall lacks the grit that other fighters display when they choose to fight through an eye poke? Share your opinion in the comments below.