Why Joe Rogan believes Jon Jones isn't "a real heavyweight" but is still hesitant to bet against him for Tom Aspinall fight
Joe Rogan has expressed a mix of admiration and curiosity regarding the potential UFC heavyweight title unification fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.
Aspinall, the interim heavyweight champion, has made a rapid ascent through the ranks with impressive first-round finishes against top fighters like Curtis Blaydes, Sergei Pavlovich, and Alexander Volkov. His speed, power, and versatility in the cage have caught the attention of fans. Rogan has been particularly impressed by the UK MMA star's ability to move at an exceptional pace for a heavyweight.
Despite his admiration for Aspinall’s skillset, Rogan remains hesitant to bet against Jones, citing the UFC heavyweight champion's ability to handle larger, stronger opponents in training and sparring. Rogan acknowledged that Jones, who weighs in at around 230 pounds, is not a “real heavyweight." However, his success against bigger fighters has left Rogan uncertain about how Aspinall will fare against the former champion’s experience and fight IQ.
Speaking about the potential fight in an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience with fitness educator Derek, the UFC color commentator said:
"Jon is not a real heavyweight. Jon could make light heavyweight, 100 percent. He weighs 230lbs right now, maybe a little less than 230lbs. Look, he always had the reputation of f*cking all the heavyweights... When Brendan [Schaub] went down and trained with him... Brendan was a heavyweight [and he] was like, ‘He f***ed me up."
Rogan added:
“He goes, ‘Dude, I was like top 10 in the world as a heavyweight, I thought I was the sh*t and he f*cked me up!’ He goes, ‘He beat my a** and he beat everybody else’s a** too’. All the other heavyweights, rag-dolled them too, he’s just a freak.”
Check out Joe Rogan's comments below:
Dana White confirms Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is in the works
Dana White has guaranteed that the highly anticipated fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall will take place in 2025.
The UFC CEO seems confident that the matchup will materialize, calling it one of the biggest fights in heavyweight history. White emphasized that despite Jones’ public reluctance to fight Aspinall, he believes that 'Bones' is willing to face anyone. Speaking about the fight at the UFC Tampa post-fight press conference, White said:
“Yeah, I’ll say 100 percent [guaranteed]. I think it’s probably the biggest fight in heavyweight history, and it’s massive in the history of the company, too. It’s a big fight. It’s weird. Let me tell you what’s weird about that. So usually those guys say that shit behind the scenes and not publicly. Jon says that shit publicly but not behind the scenes. Jon is a very unique individual to deal with.”
Check out Dana White's comments below: