
Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight Tom Aspinall, but the champ has a piece of advice for the Briton, who, on the other hand, is embracing it.
Aspinall has finally accepted that a fight against Jones won’t happen in the near future. After a series of callouts, “Bones” made some heavy blows towards the interim champ’s record and achievements. As pointed out by Jones, Aspinall has “only four recognizable opponents” and only boasts an “imaginary championship.”
While everyone thought that the story between the two was finally over, Jones revealed that he was considering postponing his retirement after fighting Stipe Miocic. The icon, nonetheless, noted that while “the Tom fight is definitely not off the table,” the fighter is still “not important enough yet” to face him. In his recent interview on Submission Radio, the veteran reiterated his lack of interest in the fight but offered Aspinall advice.
“If I were him, I would get after it, I would get after it,” Jones said. “If you truly believe that you’re the best in the world, then get after it. Go out there and compete, and the real fans will count your victories as champions. But don’t let me slow you down. Go out there and kick butt and make your money.”
Hearing about this, Aspinall didn’t negate the suggestion, saying it was actually his plan.
“A lot of people online saying, ‘Hey, Tom. You need to stop crying,’ and I thought, ‘You know what? I f*cking need to stop crying about it. They’re right,’” Aspinall said on The MMA Hour. “I need to stop crying about it, move forward, and get on with my career, and prove that I’m the best. That’s exactly what I intend on doing.”
To recall, after Jones’ earlier tirade against him, Aspinall shifted his focus to other fighters, which even resulted in speculations about his fight against Alex Pereira at UFC 300. He still doesn’t have any official fight booked, but he is convinced that he is done waiting for Jones.
“I agree. I absolutely agree,” Aspinall said. “I’ve shown nothing but respect for Jon Jones. I respect him more than a lot of people, put it that way, more than a lot of people. I respect what Jon Jones has done in the sport. It’s incredible. I appreciate the advice. I won’t let you hold me back.”