Dana White makes eye-opening remark about potential Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight: "I know how this guy operates"
Jon Jones has not entered the octagon since defeating Ciryl Gane via first-round submission at UFC 285 to capture the vacant heavyweight title in March 2023. He will look to defend the belt for the first time this weekend when he faces Stipe Miocic in a bout that has been well over a year in the making.
While Tom Aspinall has angled for the opportunity to face 'Bones', he has hinted that he will likely retire after the bout. UFC CEO Dana White does not believe the case, recently revealing that he believes the two will share the octagon at some point. Speaking to Aaron Bronsteter of Sportsnet, the promotional frontman claimed:
"I know how this guy operates. If he goes in and he wins on Saturday night, he'll disappear. You won't hear from him, you won't whatever and then once that competitive spirit starts to bubble again, he will reach out. I cannot see him not wanting to fight Tom Aspinall."
Check out Dana White's comments on Jon Jones facing Tom Aspinall below:
Jones had originally been set to face Miocic at UFC 295 last November, however, he was forced to withdraw from the bout after tearing the tendon connecting the pectoral muscle to the bone. The injury opened the door for Aspinall to claim the interim heavyweight title, which he has since defended.
While the originally planned title bout was postponed and not canceled, the No.1-ranked heavyweight angled to replace 'The Silencer'. His calls for a title unification bout were unsuccessful, however, as Miocic remains the opponent for 'Bones' return.
Jon Jones is not the reason for return to old UFC gloves
As per recent reports, fighters competing at UFC 309 will use the old gloves, with many speculating that Jon Jones was behind the change. During the UFC 309 press conference, Dana White revealed the change is permanent, stating:
"There were a lot of complaints about it. We originally created these gloves to stop eye pokes and we had good intentions with them. They didn't work out. People weren't happy with them. So, I actually made the decision, called our Chief Operating Officer Lawrence [Epstein] and said, 'I'm switching the gloves, I want the old gloves back'."
Check out Dana White's comments on returning to the old gloves below:
White added that the new gloves are now the old gloves. Although 'Bones' noted that he was happy with the change - claiming that the new gloves were small and uncomfortable - the move was not done to give him preferential treatment as many had suggested.