Legendary two-division UFC champion Jon Jones recently took to social media to criticize interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, but included what appears to be an incorrect detail.
Despite considerable fan pressure, Jones seems hesitant about returning to the octagon to face Aspinall. The British fighter holds the interim heavyweight belt, but like Jones (who won the undisputed title months earlier), he has yet to defend it.
Upon returning to America from a lengthy trip abroad for filming a reality show, Jones quickly engaged with fans online. He soon began targeting Aspinall with a series of messages.
Jon Jones` Inaccurate Claim About Aspinall`s Submission Losses
As he interacted with fans on X (formerly Twitter), Jon Jones was quickly inundated with comments about his ongoing dispute with Tom Aspinall. He responded to several messages before concluding his online session.
After sharing a statistic comparing American UFC champions to those from other nations, Jones mocked a fan who suggested Aspinall should be considered the true undisputed champion. “That’s awesome, you guys could use one,” he wrote in response.
However, his most notable claim came in reaction to a tweet that was soon deleted. Jones stated, “Unfortunately, my boy is not as special as his fan base thinks he is right now. I’ve seen Tom get tapped out twice now by two different people. Time will show. Here today gone tomorrow.”
This statement suggests either the existence of private footage unknown to fans or, more likely, an error on Jones`s part. Aspinall`s professional record shows only one loss by submission, which occurred against Stuart Austin in BAMMA approximately ten years ago. His other two professional defeats were a disqualification and a loss resulting from a severe injury.
Jones Mentions Discussing Future Plans with UFC
Jones has consistently appeared unwilling to commit to a fight against Aspinall and often expresses uncertainty about his future in the sport. Nevertheless, he recently informed fans at a seminar that he has communicated with the UFC and shared his plans with them.
He hinted that due to ongoing legal matters, any official announcement regarding a potential fight would be made by Dana White, rather than himself or Aspinall. When asked about the fight`s status by a fan, he replied, “The UFC, I, and Tom, we’ve all got a lot of stuff happening behind the scenes.”
“They’re one of the biggest organizations in sports,” he continued. “Right now, Tom and I have agreed to wait for the UFC to make their announcements. So, legally I can’t really talk about it.”
