Dana White makes eye-opening remark about Jon Jones' public vs. behind-the-scenes stance about Tom Aspinall fight
Dana White responded to critics who accused Jon Jones of avoiding a fight with Tom Aspinall, suggesting that he might be afraid or seeking a higher payday. Fans and the UFC seem eager for the heavyweight title unification bout between Jones and interim title holder Aspinall. However, Jones' refusal to take the fight has sparked speculation and rumors.
During the UFC Tampa post-fight press conference, White addressed these criticisms. He expressed the belief that a fight between Jones and Aspinall would be the biggest in UFC heavyweight history, adding:
"Let me tell you what's weird about [Jones refusing to fight Aspinall]. So, usually, those guys say that sh** behind the scenes and not publically. Jon says that sh** publically but not behind the scenes. Jon is a very unique individual to deal with. From Day 1, I have been confident that Jon Jones would do that fight."
He further explained:
"Jon Jones isn't afraid to fight anybody. And that's a fact. The only time that anything remotely weird has ever happened with Jon Jones was the time that his camp did that weird Chael Sonnen thing. 'We can't fight Chael Sonnen on short notice.' It wasn't even him. It was his team, and he listened to his team for whatever reason. It was the goofiest move in the history of the UFC. But other than that, Jon Jones, behind the scenes, is not the guy that turns down fights."
When asked if he is certain that the Jones vs. Aspinall fight would take place, White replied:
"Yeah, I'll say a hundred percent."
Check out Dana White's comments below (19:37):
Jones has expressed a desire to fight fellow veterans, such as light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, rather than take on dangerous, young contenders like Aspinall.
While many believe that Aspinall could pose the toughest challenge of Jones' professional MMA career, Pereira has recently predicted that Jones would emerge victorious in such a matchup.
Meanwhile, like Dana White, Aspinall also believes that Jones "secretly wants to fight him" but is likely denying it publically to project a certain image.