Jon Jones says Tom Aspinall's persistent callouts have enhanced his standing: "Appreciate all the attention he gives me"
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has revealed he is thankful of Tom Aspinall's regular callouts, believing that it has enhanced his own popularity instead.
'Bones' was set to defend his title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 last November. However, Jones suffered a torn pectoral tendon just weeks out from the fight, leading to Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich stepping in on short notice to face off for the interim heavyweight belt.
Aspinall went on to win the fight via a first-round knockout and has since been calling for a bout against Jon Jones in order to unify the belts and test himself against whom many consider to be the GOAT of the sport.
Unfortunately for the British fighter, both Jones and Dana White have played down the potential bout and are instead focused on rebooking the heavyweight champion against Stipe Miocic.
After spending a few months respectfully calling for his shot against Jones, which many MMA fans believe should be the fight to make anyway, Aspinall recently switched up his approach by opting to troll Jon Jones instead using skits.
Watch one of Aspinall's skits here:
Jones then recently responded to a fan who made a dig about him 'ducking' the Aspinall fight. The 37-year-old, who has alluded to his retirement after he faces Miocic, stated that he's actually appreciative of the callouts because it's keeping him "relevant" even whilst he's not fighting.
He tweeted:
"Nope, not at all, but I definitely appreciate all the attention he gives me. I'm more relevant than ever. Haven't even fought. It's an amazing thing."
Check out Jones' tweet here:
Jake Paul speculates on reason why Jon Jones is 'dodging' Tom Aspinall
Jake Paul recently offered his take on the saga between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, believing he knows why 'Bones' is delaying the fight.
Taking to X to share his thoughts, 'The Problem Child' suggested it is due to the finances or lack thereof, when it comes to convincing Jones to take the fight. According to Paul, both men should be offered a guaranteed purse and a significant percentage of the pay-per-view buys.
He tweeted:
"Jon Jones doesn't dodge anyone. He knows exactly what he's doing. Show him the money💰 - that real money. Not that spain narrative money. Him versus Aspinall is massive as it hits two big PPV markets. $25M guarantee plus PPV [buys] seems about right. @JonnyBones"
Check out Paul's tweet here: