Jon Jones will not fight at UFC 309 if Stipe Miocic is forced to pull out, says backup fighter Tom Aspinall
Tom Aspinall recently said that he believes Jon Jones would opt out of competing at UFC 309 if his scheduled opponent, Stipe Miocic, had to pull out for any reason. Jones is scheduled to defend his UFC heavyweight title against Miocic in the headline bout of this Saturday's pay-per-view event at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Aspinall, the official backup fighter for the Jones vs. Miocic showdown, has been eager to face 'Bones' in a title unification bout since claiming the interim heavyweight title at UFC 295. However, the New Yorker has repeatedly waved off the challenge, arguing that the fight wouldn't contribute anything meaningful to his legendary career.
During an appearance on the Spinnin Backfist MMA Show, Aspinall was asked whether a scenario could arise where Miocic withdraws from the title fight, giving the Brit a chance to face Jones. The interim heavyweight champion confidently stated that while he’s prepared to step in, he believes Jones would almost certainly forgo the fight.
Aspinall further admitted feeling anxious about the uncertainty, as his first time as a backup fighter could see him facing Jones, Miocic, or possibly not fighting at all:
"There's a very, very small chance that I could fight this weekend, and it's a bit like the closer it gets, the more I'm like, is somebody actually going to pull out here, do you know what I mean? It's a bit weird, so I don't feel like I can fully relax until Saturday night."
Check out Tom Aspinall's comments below (3:27):
Aspinall captured the interim heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 and defended it at UFC 304 with another impressive first-round KO against Curtis Blaydes.
Tom Aspinall says he has no respect for Jon Jones due to his refusal to fight
Tom Aspinall has remained resolute in his quest for a showdown with Jon Jones for over a year, despite 'Bones' repeatedly brushing off the matchup and claiming that the interim champion isn't deserving of fighting him.
During a recent YouTube video, Aspinall reiterated his challenge to Jones and voiced his frustration over the reigning heavyweight champion's continued dismissal of the title shot:
"I'm challenging him to a fight, and I'm a little bit disappointed that Jon, as the great champion that he is, doesn't want to give other guys the opportunity when someone's breathing down his neck because that's the first thing that most champions would do."
He added:
"If he thinks I don't deserve it, show me that I don't deserve it. Show me, sweet mate. If you kick my a** in front of the whole world, I'm happy to put my hand out and say, 'Listen, you're the better man. No problem. You took my dreams away from me, but at least I tried.' But this ducking and diving is something that I don't really have respect for."
Check out Tom Aspinall's comments below (7:00):