Why Jon Jones Should Fight Tom Aspinall
Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall have been consistently involved in online feuds ever since the British fighter grabbed the interim heavyweight title last year. Generally, the interim champion at any weight class is usually afforded the chance to dethrone the outright title holder. However, Jones has been consistent in stating he has no motivation to fight Aspinall.
There are several reasons that Jones should take on the fight before he retires from the Octagon. Whether or not the fight takes place could significantly impact the legacy that he leaves behind in the sport.
One more sleep until HEAVYWEIGHT Jon Jones enters the Octagon 😤 #UFC285 pic.twitter.com/4OFeTxATWb
— UFC (@ufc) March 4, 2023
The true ‘greatest-ever’ would not avoid anybody
Jones is widely considered the greatest UFC heavyweight ever, and the greatest fighter to ever star in the UFC, by some. However, if he continues to dismiss the opportunity to fight Aspinall, then it could tarnish his legacy as he’ll have opted for risk management rather than solidifying his lengthy world champion status.
The American would be considered the favourite in the potential fight across all of the major bookmakers. Sportsbooks like bet365, for example, currently offer Jones at a price of 4/6 to win if the match-up is to take place in 2024. As it stands, a bet365 sign-up code could award free bet credits to fans looking to predict the outcome of the UFC’s biggest events this year.
Jones-Aspinall would likely stand out as the most anticipated meeting this year. Bones could take one more fight after Stipe Miocic, which could allow him to bow out of MMA in a well-rounded manner. There would be no questions left unanswered and the expected victory for the American would cement his reputation as the greatest to have ever entered the Octagon.
There is, of course, the risk that a shock victory could cause Jones’ legacy to plummet. Nonetheless, avoiding Aspinall altogether would be almost as bad. Fans would assume that the American fears the Englishman and that alone could cost him his ‘greatest-ever’ title.
One final huge payday
Jones will primarily be focused on earning a significant sum for his fight with Miocic, which will finally take place after he recovers from injury this year. Undoubtedly, a fight with Aspinall would be much more exciting and it would generate a higher amount of pay-per-view revenue.
Aside from the questions Jones could answer, and the points he could potentially prove in the Octagon against Aspinall, he could earn a huge amount of money.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) April 12, 2021
Right now, Jones could be compared to Khabib Nurmagomedov. After defeating Conor McGregor in 2018, in what was the biggest UFC pay-per-view event on record, he stood atop the UFC world. Yet he remained hungry for more and took two more fights against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, which extended his record and earned him huge paydays before retirement.
Objectively, Jones would ultimately be the clear favourite in any fight with Aspinall, and for that reason, the risks are worth taking in exchange for the potential benefits. The American could retire with no doubters questioning whether he avoided tactically avoided strong opponents, and with a significantly larger portfolio of career earnings.
