Jon Jones‘s retirement was somewhat unceremonious and unexpected as Dana White made the announcement at the culmination of UFC Baku. People wanted to see him fight Tom Aspinall to witness the passing-of-the-torch moment as Tom Aspinall is dubbed the next big superstar in the heavier divisions. But even though he’s retired now, the conversation surrounding a potential fight between Jones and the English star has not ended yet.

For many people, including Dana White, Jon Jones is the greatest performer inside the eight-sided caged structure known as the Octagon. The UFC CEO has been very vocal about ‘Bones’ being the one to walk out of a room if he’s locked inside with another man. But on the other hand, Jones is not a natural heavyweight, but Tom Aspinall is. The English stank of a fighter has been putting down his opponents in a couple of rounds or fewer. So, there’s a belief that Jones actually ducked Aspinall because he knew he wouldn’t win it.

However, Jon Jones’s arguable greatest rival has come out to back the consensus GOAT, claiming that he has one advantage over Tom Aspinall. Daniel Cormier who failed to beat ‘Bones’ twice, claims that Jon Jones has an advantage in terms of experience. That experience is not just about having more fights under his belt than the now-undisputed heavyweight champion, but also about having gone the entire five rounds in multiple fights and coming out on top at the end of it.

“Since the fight will never happen, gun to my head, I would have said Jon Jones will beat him [Tom Aspinall] right now. I probably would have said he’ll probably beat him right now,” Daniel Cormier stated on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. “Because guess why? Tom has never been pushed into those championship rounds. But if Tom gets to those [rounds], once he gets to those championship rounds… he learns to go twenty-five minutes, where the first time you feel that, ‘I got to get up off this stool after the third round.’ Yo, Tom hasn’t got off the stool for a third round.”

Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall is not paying too much attention to what is in the future. Fans can have their opinions, and he’s okay with it. The Manchester native always wants to fight Jon Jones, nevertheless. The “Hello, Jon” promo is still ringing in fans’ ears. But in the end, Aspinall understands that ‘Bones’ doesn’t necessarily need to fight him. Here’s what he had to say.

Jon Jones doesn’t ‘need’ to fight Tom Aspinall, according to the Englishman

It’s undeniable that Jon Jones has built an incredible legacy since he first entered the octagon in 2008. Tom Aspinall, just like any other fighter out there, is chasing that dream to accomplish what ‘Bones’ has done. But when it comes to questions about stepping into the cage with the former two-weight champ, Aspinall has had enough. He thinks Jones has checked all the boxes in the sport and has earned the right to hang up his gloves, even if their matchup will remain a fantasy. Furthermore, the Brit thinks it’s entirely up to the GOAT to choose whether he wants to step back into the octagon or not, which makes total sense.

“I think he’s had an amazing career, and I think he should enjoy the rest of his life. If he truly feels like he’s done enough—which he keeps saying that he does—he will be at peace,” Tom Aspinall stated on the  Diary of a CEO podcast. “He doesn’t need me or anyone else to tell him how good he’s done. He’ll know it himself. I hope that he’s enjoying his life, he’s enjoying his family, and that he’s celebrating his career, because it’s been amazing.”

A few days ago, Cormier also expressed surprise and implied frustration at how quickly the UFC removed Jones from the official roster, suggesting the promotion may have been reluctant to keep him listed after retirement. This echoes a broader sentiment among fighters and fans: while respectful of Jones’s legacy, many feel the sudden exit left the heavyweight division in limbo. Meanwhile, New Zealand star superstar Israel Adesanya suggested Jones’s retirement could be a strategic move, ‘rage‑baiting’ to charge up hype and purse potential for a future bout with Aspinall in the tens of millions.

Well, Jon Jones has left a big void in the UFC now, since superstars of his stature are hard to come by. But there are a few of them on the rise, like Ilia Topuria, as he became the first undefeated two-weight UFC champion. Do you think Tom Aspinall can achieve the same level of success? Drop your comments below.