Conor McGregor has advice for Jon Jones about potential Tom Aspinall fight: "I've warmed to this matchup"
Conor McGregor recently offered Jon Jones some advice regarding a potential showdown with Tom Aspinall. Following Jones' third-round TKO victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 to retain the heavyweight championship, the MMA community is again buzzing with anticipation for a unification clash with interim titleholder Aspinall, who has been making a strong case for a showdown with 'Bones'.
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Aspinall spoke about the dynamics of a potential showdown with Jones. The Brit pointed out that the UFC heavyweight champion, known for his meticulous study of opponents, could face a unique disadvantage against him due to his own notably short average fight time.
However, 'The Notorious' believes that Jones has ample material to study on Aspinall, pointing to the interim UFC titleholder’s sparring session with reigning GLORY heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven in March as a key example. McGregor wrote on X:
"That footage of him looking woeful vs. Rico Verhoeven is a good footage to watch for Jon. I've warmed to this matchup, I think it should happen."
Check out Conor McGregor's post below (now deleted):
Jones has expressed strong interest in a potential superfight against reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. However, UFC CEO Dana White appears less enthusiastic about the matchup, remaining firmly focused on bringing the highly anticipated bout with Aspinall to life.
When Jon Jones called Conor McGregor's defeat to Nate Diaz a necessary humbling
Conor McGregor made the bold move to jump two weight classes, stepping into a blockbuster welterweight clash against Nate Diaz at UFC 196 in March 2016. Unfortunately for the Irishman, the gamble didn’t pay off, as he succumbed to a second-round submission defeat.
During an interview with Bloody Elbow (via Bleacher Report) in March 2016, Jon Jones reflected on McGregor’s loss to Diaz, and said that the defeat was a crucial lesson in humility for 'The Notorious':
"A part of me thinks it's a good thing he was humbled. Right before he lost, he was getting into conversations about fighting anybody, anywhere, saying things like I could beat anybody, any weight class they're in."