With fan allegations of ducking Tom Aspinall rampant, for Jon Jones "it’s about crafting a legacy that speaks for itself"
Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has been campaigning for a title unification bout with reigning champion Jon Jones, to no avail. 'Bones' seemingly isn't keen on fighting the Brit if he beats Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, and recently shared his reasoning.
Ahead of his title defense against Miocic, Jones has dismissed the idea of fighting Aspinall next and is eyeing reigning light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira instead, as he sees the Brazilian as the most enticing matchup.
Currently in the twilight of his career, Jones is dedicated to ending his story on his own terms. His recent tweet mentioned that his primary goal is to shape the legacy he has always wanted without being fazed by the "hype" and "outside opinions" of fans. It read:
"As at this point in my career, every decision is rooted in purpose. My journey isn’t dictated by hype or outside opinions—it’s about crafting a legacy that speaks for itself, one step at a time. I’m here to do what’s right for my career and my legacy, with a vision that’s clear and unshakable. Focused, driven, and in complete control of myself. The story continues, and it’s unfolding exactly as I’ve envisioned."
Jon Jones doubles down on "nobody" Tom Aspinall amid fan criticism: "He hasn't done anything"
A large part of Jon Jones' argument for not wanting to fight Tom Aspinall is the lack of noteworthy names in the latter's resume. Despite Aspinall being the current interim heavyweight champion, 'Bones' doesn't consider a unification bout against the Englishman worth it.
In a recent interview with Kevin Iole, Jones revealed that he would rather fight Alex Pereira if he decides to continue his UFC career after his upcoming title defense against Stipe Miocic. The UFC Hall of Famer said:
"I feel like Tom Aspinall is, I don't want to say 'nobody', but he just hasn't proven anything. He hasn't done anything. And I understand that he won his belt against Sergei [Pavlovich]. Sergei Just got slaughtered by someone else, so it's like, I'm not here to gamble someone else making a name off of me... If there were to be a fight [with] a guy that's still on the UFC roster that would be, not only financially worth it, but [his] 'legacy' [is also] worth it, it would be Alex Pereira."
Check out Jon Jones' comments below (7:58):