While it’s true that time seems to fly, the MMA world has felt every tick of the clock since Tom Aspinall claimed the UFC interim heavyweight title at UFC 295 by sending Sergei Pavlovich to the shadow realm in 69 seconds. What should have set the stage for a monumental unification bout has instead become an agonizing wait! Eighteen months and counting, and without a single stir from Jon Jones, who is the supposed ‘undisputed’ king at 265lbs.

There have been some moves, though! Like asking for a gargantuan “f–k you money” amount to seal his retirement deal, or previously calling out Alex Pereira for a super fight. “You can’t duck a man that you were never scheduled to fight. I get that Tom is an exciting fighter, and I get that, finally, after 16 years, we have found somebody who is seven years younger than me and 30 pounds bigger than me. We finally found someone who may give me a great challenge, and everyone wants to see it so bad. But for me, it’s like, what is in it for me?” Jones said at the UFC 309 media day, just days before beating a 42-year-old Stipe Miocic and retaining his gold.

While Dana White has maintained his verdict of Jones being the GOAT and that the unification bout is “100%” going to happen, the truth of the matter is grim. Jones has denied the Englishman his rightful shot at gold and is essentially forcing people to question his legacy amidst the entire heavyweight saga. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case with former UFC fighter Brian Stann.

In a recent deep dive with Ariel Helwani, the decorated U.S. Marine and Iraq war veteran offered a perspective grounded in experience and respect. As a former training partner of Jones at Jackson Wink MMA, Stann emphasized that Jones’ legacy is already cemented as perhaps the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.

As he explained his words, he said: 

He added,

Brian Stann further explained,

Stann himself left the sport completely in 2017 to focus on his political career, so much so that he even had a few meetings with groups in support of him running as a member of Congress, but that is still a move that is under consideration for him. However, nowadays, Stann serves as the CEO of Hunt Military Communities and has taken multiple other roles there as well.

It is safe to say that Jones has done it all! His resume and accolades speak for themselves. However, the question still remains! Will that GOAT label remain intact after a career of endless controversies and ducking allegations? It remains to be seen!

Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall: A fight full of words but no action

Even though Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall haven’t clashed in the Octagon, the tension between them has played out loudly through interviews and social media. As Aspinall once put it: “It’s quite simple, I want to fight Jones, but Jones wants to fight Miocic and that’s it. Jones is great at deflecting the truth; he’s like a politician. When I start talking about wanting to fight him, he starts talking about resumes and history and the things that he’s done that’s better than me.”

It’s a pointed accusation—but not without merit. In his back-and-forths with Aspinall, Jones never misses the chance to draw a sharp contrast between their resumes. Taking to social media, Jones once said: “Only four recognizable opponents, and already the king of England, must be nice. There will be legendary tales told about you and your infamous call outs.”

It wasn’t just a jab at Aspinall. It was a message to anyone who dares consider the Brit a real threat to ‘Bones’. So what happens now? Most days, it feels like a dream fading further from reality.

And yet, with the potential to become one of the biggest fights in UFC history. So, will we ever see Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall? Or will it go down as the superfight that never was? Let us know what you think in the comments.