Tom Aspinall explained his recent comment about his suggestion to UFC to strip Jon Jones of his belt. According to the British fighter, his statement is not about hate and he’s only aiming to get a shot at all the big fighters he’s been idolizing for years.
It can be recalled that the Briton earned his interim heavyweight champion. After this, he made a comment two weeks ago, urging the UFC to stop protecting Jones in his position. Aspinall also explained why the fight between Jones and Stipe Miocic no longer makes sense.
“I don’t see why he’s still got it. I don’t understand that. I think I should be the real champion right now,” stated Aspinall. “It’s hard to say without sounding rude, but who’s asked about Jon Jones and Stipe anymore? Why do we get this legacy fight, and they get to live by their own rules? What’s a legacy fight, a retirement fight for a title? I want to fight Stipe and then I want to fight Jon Jones. … I think all this other stuff is rubbish. Stop protecting him now. Stop protecting your boy Jon Jones at the top.”
While some agreed with Aspinall, some criticized the idea. The fighter, nonetheless, clarified that he was just trying to get the fight of the huge names in his division. In his earlier statement, despite suggesting the idea to Jones to leave the title, he expressed the willingness to face Miocic and then Jones in case the latter comes back.
“I’m just trying to get my dream fight,” Aspinall told Michael Bisping in a recent interview. “Give me a break. I’m trying to fight one of the legends. That’s all. I’ll fight everyone. I’ve got another 10 years in this sport before it’s over, and I’m going to fight these other guys. I would love to get a crack at these two guys before they retire just to get it on my resume. I’m not getting beyond myself or anything like that. I just want a crack at the guys I’ve been watching for the last 10 years. I’m a massive fan of the sport and I think it would be brilliant. That’s all. I’m not out there hating on anybody. I respect these guys.”
Yet, as the fighter reiterated, there’s uncertainty on whether he could still face Jones and Miocic, adding why it is essential for fighters to “be vocal” and make the callouts. Ultimately, the British fighter underscored that those fights are his “dream” and that the people negating the steps to achieve one’s visions are “just silly.”
