"This is like harassment" - Ciryl Gane's coach points out TWO reasons why Jon Jones should absolutely snub Tom Aspinall to fight Alex Pereira instead
Ciryl Gane's head coach has put forth two main reasons why Jon Jones mustn't be blamed for lobbying to face Alex Pereira instead of Tom Aspinall.
UFC heavyweight champion Jones knocked out fellow legend Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 (Nov. 16, 2024). Before and after UFC 309, 'Bones' was quite vocal about wanting to fight UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira next.
Detractors alleged that the 37-year-old Jones was doing so because Pereira, a striker with supposedly questionable grappling from a lower weight division, would be a better stylistic matchup than the younger grappling savant Aspinall.
UFC CEO and president Dana White recently emphasized that he probably won't book Jones-Pereira and that 'Bones' would fight interim UFC heavyweight champion Aspinall. White did mention that beating Aspinall could land Jones against Pereira.
Speaking to Inside Fighting, Ciryl Gane's longtime trainer, MMA Factory's Fernand Lopez, weighed in on Jon Jones' purported disinterest in a title unifier against Tom Aspinall. When asked if he's surprised, Lopez said:
"No. That, for me, makes sense. I mean, come on. Stop thinking as a fan; just for two seconds. Think if Jon Jones was your sibling, your relative; and you want to secure his legacy. Will you take a chance to give the fight to someone who is being very, very -- I mean, this is like harassment."
Additionally, Lopez deemed Aspinall very dangerous and one of the best heavyweights today. He implied, however, that fans view this situation from an entertainment perspective, whereas fighters view it from a business standpoint.
Lopez explained that Pereira achieved two-division champion status in Glory kickboxing and the UFC and is a bigger pay-per-view draw than Aspinall. He suggested that money and legacy are the two biggest reasons why Jones is eyeing Pereira rather than Aspinall. Lopez stated:
"Why do you want Jon Jones to look up and try to fight Tom Aspinall when Tom Aspinall is -- one, dangerous; two, not valuable factor for legacy? In the other hand, you have Pereira. Done everything -- Glory champion, double champion in the UFC. Why don't you go there and fight him? And even on the money standpoint, better seller on pay-per-view ... So everyone is looking on top to try to make more money or to try to cement his legacy."
Check out Fernand Lopez's assessment below (15:40):
Fernand Lopez wouldn't complain about Jon Jones fighting Alex Pereira rather than Ciryl Gane
Presently, Ciryl Gane is booked to face Alexander Volkov in a rematch at UFC 310 (Dec. 7, 2024). Meanwhile, Jon Jones is eyeing a return to the octagon in 2025. Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is also self-admittedly in talks for his next fight.
During his aforementioned interview, Fernand Lopez notably explained that even if his own pupil, Ciryl Gane, were in a similar situation as Tom Aspinall, he'd have no qualms with how the business operates. Citing an example, the veteran trainer referenced Gane's first-round submission defeat against Jon Jones that transpired in March 2023 and said:
"If he [Jones] have the chance to fight someone else, I mean, like Pereira, of course, he will do that. Why will he come back and fight Ciryl Gane?" [19:28-minute mark of the aforementioned video]
Check out the clip of Jon Jones submitting Ciryl Gane below: