A UFC icon claims Tom Aspinall isn’t being kept in the loop with what’s going on with Jon Jones.
Since his brutal knockout victory against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 last July, the Englishman has had to wait patiently on the sidelines, hoping that his shot at the undisputed heavyweight champion will finally come to fruition.
Alas, much to the frustration of the fans and indeed the athlete himself, Jones has shown very little interest in giving his rival what he wants.
And according to a former world title challenger, the powerhouse isn’t being given the whole picture as to what’s going on behind the scenes.
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Chael Sonnen says Tom Aspinall doesn’t know what’s happening with Jon Jones
Chael Sonnen believes that Tom Aspinall is in limbo, with very little idea of what’s going on with Jon Jones.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, the 48-year-old said: “I just don’t think that Tom has the information, where Jon’s heart is at, what the negotiation looks like, what Jon has said, or what has been said to Jon. I don’t think Tom has that.”
The analyst added: “He is frustrated, these are Tom’s exact words, ‘I’m frustrated, I have nothing left to talk about’. Jon is not giving options, ‘I would fight Alexander Volkov, or I would fight Ciryl Gane, again’.
“The UFC, at some point, can offer Aspinall many different opponents. The UFC, at no point, will offer Jon many opponents, nor should they even consider it. That’s what the undisputed belt represents: that you will take on anybody.
“If the undisputed champion will take on anybody, there should never be a debate of ‘will he take on the interim champion’? The answer is, of course, yes.”
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Chael Sonnen says whether Jon Jones needs to fight Tom Aspinall
With Jones vs Aspinall currently the most highly anticipated clash in all of MMA, fans are getting annoyed that Jones hasn’t signed on the dotted line.
However, Sonnen has given a counterargument that suggests his countryman may not need to overcome the Brit to retire with his legacy intact.
In a separate YouTube video, he explained: “If Jon Jones walked away right now, could he? In terms of legacy, all the great things he’s done, the youngest champion, [won belts in] a couple of divisions.
“Could he walk away right now and be just as intact? Does he need Tom Aspinall? What is it that would be added to Jon’s mountain top if he beat Tom Aspinall? Time would only tell, and it would tell a very different tale.
“For example, if Jon walks away, in the short term, ‘he’s walking, he’s a chicken, he was going to lose anyway’. That is inevitably going to happen.
“But if Tom’s very first opponent is Ciryl Gane, Jon went through Ciryl like a hot knife through butter.
“Meanwhile, if Ciryl and Tom were to go out and really battle, regardless of outcome, that’s where you’d be forced, even if you were one of the ‘he’s a coward’ crowd, to admit, ‘That Jon Jones, he sure was good’.”