UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is slated to defend his title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden this November. This marks his return to the Octagon after a year-long hiatus. While fans eagerly anticipate the matchup, the interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, has been patiently waiting for his unification title fight against Jones since last year. However, his calls for the fight have been repeatedly ignored. Jones’s recent hints on social media have raised questions about the possibility of a future Jones vs. Aspinall fight. Many MMA analysts, like Michael Bisping, believe this retirement claim is a bluff like his past statements.

Conversely, other UFC insiders like Jon Anik have offered a different perspective. On the DraftKings podcast, UFC commentator Jon Anik recalled a statement by UFC CEO Dana White who once said if Jon Jones defeats Stipe Miocic, a fight against Tom Aspinall would be next. The play-by-play commentator told Kenny Florian that a matchup between Jones and Aspinall could be a fitting farewell for Jones, but Jones might not be keen on the fight.

He stated, ” I think he wants the challenge, not at the expense of his legacy, and if he can beat Stipe Miocic as a minus 350 betting favorite and ride off into the Albuquerque sunset, I am expectant that that is what he is going to do.” Anik jokingly added, “If I could get a betting line on Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall never happening, I would ask my wife if I could, you know, spend several figures.”

Aspinall is the undisputed contender for the title except in the eyes of Jones and White. He has won and defended the interim title since Jones last fought. However, that does not seem to have impressed either of Jones or White. The duo are hell-bent on the legacy fight against Miocic and for the winner to fight Aspinall. White issued this statement while there is the possibility that the winner (either Miocic or Jones) could retire with the belt, and the loser could also take the same road.

Where would that leave Aspinall? Does he get promoted to champion? Or does he fight another contender for a vacant belt? The uncertainties surrounding the division are many.

While the fight between Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones seems to be on hold, the potential matchup is already generating significant interest. Recently, UFC star Gilbert Burns appeared on Renato Moicano’s podcast where Moicano shared his prediction for a potential fight between the two heavyweights and also explained the reasoning behind his pick.

Renato Moicano discusses the potential Jones vs. Aspinall clash

With a near-perfect UFC record of 9-1, many in MMA are already putting Tom Aspinall in the GOAT conversation for the division. Laura Sanko, a well-known MMA analyst, even said that while Jon Jones might be the overall best fighter, Aspinall is the king of the heavyweights right now. Even Renato Moicano, a UFC star, wants to see Aspinall face Jon Jones.

Moicano recently picked Tom Aspinall to beat Jon Jones on his podcast. He said, “Jon Jones is not in his prime anymore. You remember Dominick Reyes? He was starching him. Thiago Santos was starching him. At the end of his career, he was not the same Jon Jones – 23 years old knocking Shogun out. Aspinall is right now what Jon Jones used to be.”  

While Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones might be a long shot now, we can’t completely count it out. Jon Jones is known for playing mind games, just like Conor McGregor. Maybe he’s just trying to build hype or confuse everyone. Right now, Aspinall is the backup for the Miocic vs. Jones fight. If Miocic can’t fight, we might see Aspinall vs. Jones after all. Let’s see what happens.