UFC heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones is set to end the dry spell in the sport this weekend at UFC 309 when he steps into the Octagon to face former two-time champion Stipe Miocic. Earlier this year, Jones faced criticism from interim champion Tom Aspinall, who publicly accused him of avoiding a unification scrap against him. Despite this, Jones has always made it clear that he wanted to face Miocic, the rumored final opponent and the consensus heavyweight GOAT.

The tension between Jones and Aspinall, which had already played out on social media, reached a boiling point in the mainstream media when ‘Bones’ walked out of an interview with TNT reporter Adam Catterall, stating, “I’m not doing this interview. It’s going to be an Aspinall fest.” Catterall, known for being a friend of Aspinall, was seen as the person behind the fight lab series that promoted the Aspinall fight narrative.

Back in the summer, TNT launched the Fight Lab series in collaboration with Tom Aspinall, with the first episode airing on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+. Aspinall co-hosted the show alongside Adam Catterall, and it featured guest appearances from various figures, aiming to attract fresh audiences to the sport. This likely lingered in Jon Jones’s mind, leading him to believe his interview would focus on Aspinall, which is why he chose to walk away. Amidst the “ducking” allegations, the Englishman has resumed his attack on the undisputed champion.

Tom Aspinall challenges Jon Jones yet again

After Tom Aspinall claimed the interim heavyweight title by defeating Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 last year, he became increasingly vocal about his ambition to secure the top spot in the division. His calls for a fight with Jon Jones gained significant attention, with the MMA community supporting his ambition. However, Jones did not pay heed to Aspinall’s callouts and dismissed his worthiness for a title shot, even expressing interest in fighting UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira instead.

Frustrated by this, Aspinall renewed his criticism of Jones, slamming him for blocking his opportunity to unify the titles. In a recent YouTube video, Aspinall issued a new challenge to Jones, stating, “I’m challenging him to a fight, and I’m a little bit disappointed that Jon, as the great champion that he is, doesn’t want to give other guys the opportunity when someone’s breathing down his neck because that’s the first thing that most champions would do.”

What are your thoughts on Jon Jones’s actions? Was it justified for him to skip the Adam Catterall interview, fearing that Catterall might ask questions favoring Tom Aspinall? Share your opinion below.