Reporter who’s interview Jon Jones quit says him fighting Tom Aspinall could have a “Floyd Mayweather” effect on the career of ‘Bones’
Tom Aspinall has made it clear that he wants to fight for undisputed heavyweight glory. Given that Jon Jones currently holds the title, Aspinall currently has his full focus on the American.
The Mancunian won the interim heavyweight title after replacing Jones at UFC 295, where he was set to defend his belt against Stipe Miocic. But 'Bones' suffered an injury before the fight that left him out for a full year.
Upon completing his recovery, the 37-year-old was announced alongside Miocic as the main event of UFC 309, scheduled to take place on Nov. 16.
But Jones declaring that he would not be interested in fighting Aspinall, even if he defeated Miocic, has fallen flat with fans. The New York native has been bombarded with messages from fans accusing him of avoiding the Brit.
To make matters worse, 'Bones' walked out of an interview on Nov. 14 after realizing that the man interviewing him, Adam Catterall, was British and had a friendship with Aspinall.
Catterall has now reflected on the moment, and stated that Jones unifying the title against the 31-year-old could be his "Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez" moment.
During a recent interview with talkSPORT MMA, the reporter said:
"In my opinion, no it wouldn't damage [Jones'] legacy if he never fought Tom Aspinall... I personally think that it would heighten his legacy. He beat the previous generation, he beat his generation and now he's gonna take on the next generation. I liken it very much to when Mayweather fought Canelo. Whenever Canelo now fights, you always mention Floyd Mayweather because Mayweather caught him at the right time, schooled him and bounced."
Check out Adam Catterall's comments on Jon Jones vs. Aspinall below (6:44):
Jon Jones explains why he won't fight Tom Aspinall
Jon Jones has made it clear that he won't fight Tom Aspinall next, irrespective of what happens at UFC 309.
With the heavyweight champion having previously stated that he wouldn't be willing to "gamble" his career against someone with as few achievements in MMA as Aspinall, 'Bones' recently shared a different reason entirely.
Jones appeared at the pre-fight media day, where he was asked if any part of the "competitor" in him still wanted to face the interim champion. Jones said:
"I feel like Tom's been such an a**hole that I don't want to do business with him. His fans have been so annoying... But he is just an a**hole... If you had a little bit more respect, then maybe we could have worked something out."
Check out Jon Jones discuss Tom Aspinall below (21:55):