Ariel Helwani: Is Jon Jones ruining his legacy by refusing Tom Aspinall fight?

[@leedscity6881]

Jones literally said he would rarther give up the HW belt than fight Tom 😂 🦆

[@PBPV7]

Which is weird. I would respect him much more even if he loses to Tom. But straight up admitting that Tom, who’s the biggest threat in the division, making a name by beating Jon is the excuse why he’s NOT fighting him..? Nah. That’s a bitc# move..

[@thomasboucher8432]

Because he's 2 scared to fight n loose n be made to look a bitch

[@Lewisf-r2i]

What is rarther?

[@subMJM]

Being labeled a duck would effect his legacy more than just taking the fight. And if he truly believes Aspinall is "I don't want to say a nobody", then he should just take the fight and prove that and get it over with.

[@Flipmoperandi]

For the BMF 😂😂😂

[@raul350raptor]

The funniest part is that Jon Jones is trying to force us to want Jones vs Pereira because he knows Pereira is an easier fight

[@ggthewhale]

And the casuals eat it up

[@Sammy-iw7do]

its not even close to competitive either, issy litterly took alex down and controlled him, jon absolutly smokes alex

[@MNToThat]

I think its more a case of Jones insinuating that he wants more money from the UFC to fight Aspinall. When everyone (apart from the casuals) is calling for the Tom fight, he stands a better chance of squeezing more money put of the UFC for it. Jones said he wouldn't fight Aspinall directly after Dana saying he expects the winner of Jones -Stipe to fight Aspinall... This is the same cold war negotiation tactic that Jones has done his whole career

[@subMJM]

Jones is 12 days younger than Pereira, and we're talking about Jones preserving himself because he's getting old, while Pereira is one of the most active champions in the business.

[@justathought9591]

I think jones is trying to piggyback off Alex's current relevancy and current activity. Jones hasn't really achieved much in recent times, that's why he's always having a GOAT rant, GOAT is an accolade that evades present day status.

[@KZ_MMA-KZ]

Jones is terrified of a fight where he doesn't hold some kind of advantage. Whether it's grappling, physical size, or age. He took steroids, and intentionally eyepoked nearly everyone he ever fought. The greatest cheater of all time.

[@vhyles]

I couldn't have said it better myself

[@AaronSmith-x6o]

​@vhyles you're delusional. Aspinal is ass. His resume is ass. Stipe and Jones are both levels above Asspinal

[@THazebomb]

Casual

[@73tydy]

Terrified 🤣🤣🤣🤣 your definitely a part of the Armchair Thriller Crew.

[@jonoharper4729]

​@@THazebomb When you can't provide an intelligent response or debate about a comment you disagree with....then just call them a "casual"

[@coleymusic5868]

Jon can fight whoever he wants, after you strip the belt from him

[@slicvm]

​@@drizzygoat-cq6cqThere will always be an up and coming contenders, doofus. He fought enough in the LHW division

[@itsjason8097]

@@drizzygoat-cq6cqdc and prime Gustafson and prime rampage beat all of them

[@drizzygoat-cq6cq]

@@itsjason8097 fuk no boy you tripping boy poaton sleeps both them skid marks ! Jones ducking tom boy

[@bradshortland6169]

⁠@@slicvm He has 1 win at heavyweight. He can’t just sit on the belt and never fight the interim champ just because he has a lot of defences at lhw. What kind of logic is that? 1 has nothing to do with the other 😂

[@ninteniimelonjuice]

HARD NO. Alex is the best exit fight for Jon. Aspinall: UK fighter with zero wins over champions and number one contenders. Have an interim belt because UFC decided he can't sell tickets on his name, his name is worth nothing. Alex: Multiple Glory Champion, multiple UFC Champion, two division UFC Champion going for three division Champion vs Jon, has beat multiple UFC Champions, fighter of the year, the most popular MMA fighter in the world. Hmmmm... who should he fight??? lol

[@ramonbriones4487]

*Why doesn't anybody report how his two NFL brothers both popped for PEDs as well and all 3 of them had the same coach who is known for pushing gear on his athletes?! Enough with this goat talk*

[@CRT4Dummies]

start a channel and report on it yourself. i dont hear anyone saying it.

[@funkspinna]

Interesting point.

[@MNToThat]

The fact the entire ufc roster ignore this makes the whole sport look dirty. Even Bisping changed his tune

[@davidmceneaney1038]

@@MNToThatthe entire sport is on gear

[@MNToThat]

@@davidmceneaney1038 Yeah, I think so too.

[@brains84]

Can't be a cheater and the GOAT at the same time.

[@carlosmeza7807]

🤓

[@KZ_MMA-KZ]

He took steroids, and intentionally eyepoked nearly everyone he ever fought. The greatest cheater of all time.​@@carlosmeza7807

[@shable1436]

Pictogoat

[@svera6446]

i agree with the pepto’s (cheater part) but enhancements dont make u have a great fighting IQ period .

[@lukehayward8042]

Dude his fighting iq is poking in the eye when he gets hit end of​@svera6446

[@gabrieltello3905]

If he won’t fight Aspinall then he has to vacate the belt, simple as that

[@MNToThat]

UFC would rather strip him than pay him the Wilder money to make the fight. Expect a "Jon Jones Was Never My Friend" in 2025

[@darijanjamak2632]

Jones even said to fight pereira he would leave the HW belt behind

[@MohamedBulhanny]

Facts 😂🎉

[@blackholesupersloth3276]

Ariel thinking Pereira is a tougher test for Jones than Aspinall is insane.

[@Tretard]

@@blackholesupersloth3276 he doesn’t need to prove anything. You completely missed his point

[@Choom89]

It's been ruined for the last 10 years, he dodged every active HW on the roster and refused or outpriced himself on every potential super fight until Francis left and Stipe turned 40. Jones knows his paydays are over, there are no big money fights for him outside the UFC. He doesn't have the balls to challenge champion pugilists like Francis did, he's milking this situation for as long as possible in attempts to increase his final pay checks.

[@liamdevine8063]

Jones needed Anthony Smith's courtesy to keep ihs belt that night. Santos bum knee to keep the belt that night. UFC judges to keep the belt from Reyes. Match makers to hand him the Heavyweight belt he's scared to defend against the real contender. And he thinks his story is the GOAT story? Pahahaha, tragic stuff. A GOAT can be scared, but a GOAT must be brave. This isn't bravery, this is neurotic nonsense.

[@ninteniimelonjuice]

HARD NO. Alex is the best exit fight for Jon. Aspinall: UK fighter with zero wins over champions and number one contenders. Have an interim belt because UFC decided he can't sell tickets on his name, his name is worth nothing. Alex: Multiple Glory Champion, multiple UFC Champion, two division UFC Champion going for three division Champion vs Jon, has beat multiple UFC Champions, fighter of the year, the most popular MMA fighter in the world. Hmmmm... who should he fight??? lol

[@BodTheGrinch]

​@@ninteniimelonjuiceYou got any idea how deluded you sound? Why don't you break the choice down to the most blatantly obvious factors instead of having to talk about completely different sports? Who should Jon fight next? Aspinall: The interim champion of Jon's division, i.e. the precise opponent the champion has to fight. Alex: Literally not even in Jon's division. This ain't rocket science, mate.

[@Monztxr]

⁠​⁠@@ninteniimelonjuiceso basically you’re saying Jones takes the easier fight against a kick-boxer and completely ignore the fact that the active DEFENDING interim champ is waiting to fight him. Guessing you’re a Jones fan boy because no one genuinely believes fighting Alex does anything for his “legacy”. Oh by the way, Jon’s belt is no less of a ‘paper belt’ than Tom’s. A vacant title against a cherry picked kick-boxer, impressive.

[@ninteniimelonjuice]

@@BodTheGrinch MMA & Boxing is businesses disguised as sports. If the interim champ doesn't fight the champ when he's back, he will get stripped of his interim belt. This is what's happening this weekend. UFC & Jon doesn't care if you like what's happening or not. The truth is mainstream doesn't know or care about Aspinall for the fight to be something Jon would entertain as his last fight. Aspinall has said he will leave the sport short after he becomes the Champ, he will not fight for legacy. Therefor a win over Aspinall will never grow to be a bigger fight than a fight against Alex, because Tom will never reach Alex or Jon in terms of legacy or money. Tom has DQd himself from fighting Jon.

[@mannsjewellery]

Aspinall has done 10 times more than Jon has done at heavyweight. What does beating a guy with zero ground game and an old man really do for his legacy? Aspinall does more

[@enmitynz4613]

How is Ciryl Gane one of these incredible amazing fighters who will be engraved into history for the next decade or so?

[@Nolbert24]

When they made that fight the UFC asked themselves one important question. “Who is the easiest name with the most popularity”. Shocked that they didn’t just do Stipe v Jon after Francis left lol.

[@AlexYoung1995]

​@@Nolbert24 Because Stipe can wrestle

[@bernardsouza814]

He was a whole 2-2 in MMA. Perfect fight for Jones's legacy.😂

[@bernardsouza814]

​@Nolbert24 they tried but jon kept dragging it out

[@Wild_Danimal]

🦆 🦆 🦆 🦆 🦆 Jon jones quacking rn

[@MohamedBulhanny]

Facts 😂🎉he duck francis for 3 consecutive years and now aspinall he's the greatest ducker off all time

[@billybucks8234]

Jon will beat stipe and Tom

[@wurble]

Picking the more favourable fights and avoiding the real threats is what Jon will end up being remembered for in the minds of many. Avoided Francis and blatantly ducked Tom.

[@TheHeadown]

Yes, there will always be a "but" at the end of future conversations about his career due to how he´s acting now. Yeah, the cheating with steroids and all the other foul things he´s done. But in terms of fighting, he thinks beating a 40-year-old fighter that´s been inactive for 4 years will have a greater impact than taking on his actual biggest threat, a defending interim champion in his weight class. This is just crazy.

[@geeemqu]

100%.

[@egbukwuprince]

Cry more, his legacy lives forever, no on will remember Aspinal in 5 years

[@geeemqu]

@@egbukwuprince I disagree! I'll remember Jones as the bully duck!

[@egbukwuprince]

@@geeemqu Like anyone cares what you remember 😂

[@greatesthits8293]

This situation, PEDs, and the Reyes fight will be the most memorable things about Jon Jones until the end of time.

[@harsha1989able]

Absolutely...

[@briananderson9650]

Reyes the ATHLETE?😂😂😂😂 . That was another win for jbj.😂😂😂

[@greatesthits8293]

@@briananderson9650 That's completely delusional. Get some help.

[@finlay54642]

The difference between aspinal and pereira is that pereira has been given the opportunitys to do the great things he has done. Fought for the middle weight title after 3 fights, fought for the lhw title after just one while tom has cleared out the top 10 apart from gane and jones is refusing to fight him. Imagine if adesanya refused to fight pereira because he hasn't done anything in mma to deserve a title fight?

[@exdee__]

Exactly. People defend Jones by saying what has Ton done. What else is he supposed to do 😂

[@MrNiceGuy8922]

​@@exdee__only Duck Jones fanboys say that , they don't seem the brightest 😂

[@MrNiceGuy8922]

People are demanding Merab fight umar, umar fought one top 10 ranked fighter and no interim belt

[@paulc8588]

Yes. Is the answer. Jon thinks we're all stupid

[@draco9513]

You just don’t like Jon. Stfu.

[@GrandmasterHash]

@x2may374Nobodies tarnishing anything except Jon with his own legacy. Tom is ranked higher than Stipe, hes literally the interim champ😂

[@GrandmasterHash]

@ And then Jon got injured, any other decent champ who has been injured and out for 500+ days has relinquished the title. If they wanna fight, cool but it literally does not need a belt. The belts only on the line still to attract casual viewers

[@GrandmasterHash]

@ It is Jons call😂, every other champion recently has done it themselves. Hes not the best fighter in history😂, he was fighting blown up middleweights, arguably lost to Reyes when he finally met someone his own age and size.

[@BLACKRULERSHIP]

why would jon want to fight tom when he has not fought gane yet

[@ScottyD_NZ]

I'd like to hear duck callers going off in the stadium at UFC309

[@justina7794]

R4 submission and a sea of quacking ensues 😂😂

[@Scampi95]

If I was in the US, I'd be there with a duck caller I promise

[@MaxMW1]

Ducks can’t be goats. Rumble Johnson, Francis Ngannou and Tom Aspinall say hi

[@bryanuhl124]

He didn’t duck rumble. He got suspended and that fight got cancelled.

[@EasaNazam]

​@@bryanuhl124because he hit a pregnant lady's car

[@PBPV7]

Don’t forget about Jan Blachowizc…

[@BLACKRULERSHIP]

why tom has not fought gane yet

[@BamOn742]

@@bryanuhl124he ducked rumble by hitting a prego lady….he knew he was going to get koed

[@part1801]

The Johnny Walker analogy is in the cringe hall of Fame and JJ should be fighting Tom. For the integrity of the sport especially if he beats Stipe.

[@lordofthebeltsthereturnoft1127]

Jones isn't trolling bro, he literally isn't going to fight Tom, for the same reason that Jones refused to officially enter the HW division while Francis was still around, Jones is a very calculated guy, that's why he is undefeated, remember he even chickened out of a fight with Chael Sonnen once, believing that Sonnen was secretly training the entire time while Henderson was injured and that Sonnen being the late replacement was actually a super trained and possibly roided out guy etc, Dana threw a tantrum at Jones for that, because it resulted in a whole event being cancelled. This points to the fact that Jones is very calculated, he doesn't like taking risks, in fact Jones's entire fight style is catered toward not taking risks as well, that's why he threatens with potential eye pokes if someone closes the distances, he can merely hold his fingers out and if the opponent runs into his fingers with their eyes is it really his fault? And his knee kick is also catered to also keeping people away, Jones isn't some bravado guy who takes risks, he isn't going to fight Tom.

[@jamkick8]

realistically jones career post 2017 is extremely unimpressive, i think ppl just have nostalgia with him, he ducked jan at lhw, got gifted the gane fight which was easy stylistic fight, and now is ducking tom. also guys like santos, reyes, anthony smith have proven to be average/below average fighters, so what has he really done?

[@ozzee5094]

Ducking Jan is nonsense 😂. He definitely ducked ngannou and is ducking Tom though

[@ggthewhale]

Most importantly he ducked ngannou

[@SuccessForeverAstrology]

He also ducked a rematch with Reyes

[@bigchedds8389]

​@@ozzee5094 you liked your own comment, further proof Jones ducked Jan. Greatest duck of all time

[@Nolbert24]

I forget what legal troubles or whatever he was dealing with leading up to 2019, but he was talking about how he wanted to come back to LHW and make up for lost time. Which held true until a lack luster fight with Smith, Struggling with Santos and arguably losing to Reyes convinced him he should spend 3 years planning a move to HW just to get kinda fat and wait for a favorable fight with Francis leaving

[@mattsmith5421]

Nothing scares me anymore at light heavyweight, I'm going up to heavyweight I want to feel challenged again, GETS TO HEAVYWEIGHT, give me white belt kickboxers with zero wrestling ability, give me 43 year olds who haven't won a fight for 5 years, give me light heavyweights with zero wrestling ability, the interim heavyweight champion he scares me? Nahhh anything but that please.

[@StepitUpClips]

Should have just said he’ll retire after this fight regardless. Saying he will fight Alex instead was next level quack quack

[@vuyanimajola5685]

He said he will vacate the title to fight Alex

[@ottodepaz7187]

@@vuyanimajola5685quack quack😂😂😂😂

[@rich4738]

Yep he fucked up here, he obviously expected the MMA world to come around to his way of thinking and get behind a Pereira fight next.

[@AW-su2st]

Yes. Jon had PED issues. Reyes fight he lost. Jon waited out Ngannou. Now not fighting Tom. One too many. Khabib, GSP, Mighty Mouse. All No disputes.

[@paying-for-free-speech]

Jones has cheated in almost, if not, every, fight he's been in. He's arguably lost a few of his "close" decisions - and anyone who knows anything about MMA, would bet everything on Aspinal if Jon ever dared fight Tom.

[@dimasbram7176]

casual bih 🤣

[@paying-for-free-speech]

@dimasbram7176 do you know how pathetic people like you, who just say 'casual' and then think that makes you sound knowledgeable and right are? It's really embarrassing at this point. There's only one casual here, and it's not me. If you've got a point or argument, to make - then make it. If not - then shut the fek up, because you're just embarrassing yourself 😘

[@Jay-gz6sk]

Terrific counterpoints simpleton... cAsuAl🥴@@dimasbram7176

[@allpraiseduetogod]

lol, blah blah blah...Aspinal wont even equal Miocic in legacy, let asspinall create his own

[@darrensteele3365]

​@allpraiseduetogod what's it like to know your hero is running scared?!

[@SasukeUchiha-vb2vy]

4:35 Jones is not undefeated either. He clearly lost to Reyes and if you argue that well he has a loss on his record to Mall Hamill for cheating.

[@muratisik6956]

He also lost against Gustafson.

[@UserUnknownWhy]

He also lost against Chael Sonnen.

[@MNToThat]

It's ridiculous to think they might revert that DQ because of the new rule change. What's the point of having rules??

[@PBPV7]

@@MNToThatYea. Imma conto the UFC and only throw dickkicks because sOmE dAy ThEy MiGhT bE LeGaL..

[@nsbm159]

​@@UserUnknownWhylol stop it man😂😂

[@tenacminotauro9541]

Remember when Ariel Helwani condemned Dana White's behavior with his wife and also begged Jon Jones to be on his show? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

[@Nolbert24]

Views are all that matters to big nose.

[@Mahhhdeee]

Hypocrites like Nina drama😂

[@rons1099]

Jon said he hasn’t proven himself but Tom literally CLEANED out the division wtf is he talking about 🦆 😂

[@Naksu..]

Jon Jones the greatest PED

[@anthonyraistrick4728]

Jones legacy is already broken. He beats women, he takes drugs and peds. He drink drives. He hits and runs! Need I go on? He cheats in the octagon. He will always be remembered by these things. Let alone not fighting Tom. I personally will not be buying the ppv this weekend- and I hope fellow brits follow suit. This should be toms shot not somebody who hasn’t fought in 4 years- who isn’t even interim. It’s a shame chandlers fight is on the card. I’ll watch that on KZbin the following day.

[@jonodunn2592]

You actually pay to watch ppvs? Bro get a fire stick😂

[@anthonyraistrick4728]

@ had one. They’re a pain in the ass!

[@DeeTried]

@@jonodunn2592 that stuff don’t always work. You know how many fight parties I been to where the stream cut and you can’t it back on? It’s just $80, I used to spend triple that on weed and fast food weekly.

[@jonodunn2592]

@@DeeTried bro I watch every week for at least 5 years it never and I mean never cuts off might be different in the states but works like a charm here iptv

[@DoubleMKGaming]

I think its another brick, in the Jon Jones is not a legend wall..

[@drummrpdx]

He made his name off of past their prime legends, and he doesn't want to embarrass himself by having Aspinall do the same to him. Ducking 100% and his legacy is already ruined, the ego this dude has is insane. But most dudes who beat their wife have crazy opinions.

[@jonbonesmahomes7472]

Are you saying he cannot retire? Should he fight till 55?

[@Apettyexistence]

real lol

[@dethdaemon]

@@jonbonesmahomes7472 well no, but ducking Ngannou for 3 years to only fight gane and stipe is pathetic. He should have retired 5 years ago if that was the case

[@jonbonesmahomes7472]

@@dethdaemon Why ? He fights for money ,too. Its his job. He was not ducking Ngannou . Thats nonsense. Dana didnt want to pay him.

[@Brainplastics]

Stipe is not the same age as jon, he's 5 years older, and 5 years farther from his prime.

[@robbstarkwinterfell]

Ducks are not Goats

[@vinc8342]

the main thing to focus on here is that alex dosnt want to just fight jon jones.. he wants to become a 3 time champ so if jon vacates the fight loses importance

[@maxbarnes3967]

" interim belts don't mean anything" bruh they are a place holder and a mandatory defense if the champion wants to keep the belt. How are you an mma analyst and don't understand that

[@DanAddison]

Especially since right now, the HW interim belt means far, far more than the ‘undisputed’ one. It actually represents the best HW on the roster. Jones’s relatively arbitrarily awarded belt represents a duck picking cherries.

[@dopaminutes]

Jon Jones ruined his legacy a long time ago. He will NOT be missed.

[@irlshrek]

how can you say that tom aspinall doesnt deserve a shot at the title at this point? why would he do some exhibition match against Alex Pereira? He HAS to get a shot at the title...

[@Bjorn_R]

Yes. Yes he is. He has exposed that he has been a little duck his entire career, but people didnt notice, because he was winning fights where he made sure to have the advantage.

[@hectorvazquez7517]

“No loss ages well.” Tell that to Khalil Rountree. His stock rose.

[@PBPV7]

Very good point. Even Dan Hardy got hyped after losing to GSP.

[@DanAddison]

But different to ‘aging well’ though. Poatan might get finished by Ank in his next fight and then we’ll see how well Khalil’s loss to Alex has aged.

[@iviwediko7210]

🔆Isn't it funny how Khalil didn't deserve the title shot but it got shoved down out throats under the guise of "if you dont think that fight will be entertaining, you on the wrong sport" yet with Jon Jones it's "what has Aspinall done?" while Tom is holding the interim tittle 🤦‍♂️🚮💯😂😂😂 this sport is cooked for real

[@ChezGonzales99]

Imagine if Khalil won. His stock would have rose much more than in the loss

[@Bryan-gy3gu]

His legacy is already ruined. This bs just adds another asterisk to his “goat” status

[@MaxPayne-i3b]

I thought ufc was all about the best fight the best now its ill pick n choose because im undefeated and wanting to leave that way smh.

[@DanAddison]

Yeah Dana forgot that his job is literally to try his best to get every current champion beaten in their next fight. Thats how you have a functional sport that means anything.

[@SM-fk5or]

So instead of him unifying the belt they think Aspinall should defend the interim a second time? 🙄

[@OGMacGee]

Dude... Jones is doing textbook ducking. He can be "the Goat" or "The Goat*" and that * will definitely tarnish his legacy.

[@KhruC]

I can understand Jon’s point, but if that’s the case, he needs to give up the HW belt. Either that, or defend it.

[@chrischan2555]

Jon's latest fights after returning from his steroid suspension has not been legendary AT ALL! Alexander Gusstafson, Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos (all have aged horribly) Dominick Reyes (in which Reyes was robbed). Then ran away from the division, refusing a rematch to wait on the sidelines until the Gane fight.

[@digg_7]

Already ruined it with cheating 4 times with PED's, for the Jones fanboys thinking Stipe deserves it, tell me a single top15 HW he's beaten that's not retired?

[@sanatsrivastava2814]

He said he doesn't want to deal with the press conference, the fight with a younger, 30 YO Tom. How much more of a duck can anybody be? 🦆🦆🦆🦆 I have never heard any champ say stuff like this. 😭😭😭😭

[@alhamduliyahsua]

100% how can it not. He is the champion and is scared to unify the belt

[@SimbaM2kufu]

Jon doesn't need to fight Tom. Anyone who thinks he does is a brain-dead. Tom is a better fight and a much more challenging fight, Alex is a bigger fight and legacy worthy it is a more important fight. It's very much that simple.

[@The4BsPodcast]

Comparing Aspinal and Perriers records is so lols as the only reason Tom isn't the undisputed champ is because the duck is ducking him. It's not his fault the champ won't fight him

[@SWAT-Medic1349]

Guys, remember Jones has been fighting for 15 years. Considering the always-present CTE danger, he should have the choice to walk away if desired! I find the comments from people who never put a pair of gloves on and face someone trying to hurt them hilarious.

[@trfgshdtg4577]

Jones is not ruining his own legacy, he's ruining the UFC' legacy as a premier organization. That belt doesnt worth shit because champions like him exist, and only exist because he's protected.

[@MNToThat]

Agreed

[@angadsawhney]

Ariel stfu...more acting like u don't know jon...he's ducked every single time he ever was in a truly difficult position...when has he EVER had the odds against him - never...so already ure wrong...but even worse - even when the odds got slightly close like last minute fights or Francis - he ducked

[@motsy15]

It was already ruined for most people. Now he is becoming a meme. He is losing the last bit of respect he had by ducking the interim champ. He won’t fight anyone unless he has a huge advantage on them and he cannot lose a decision as long as Dana boy owns the UFC. They made heavyweight a joke. People should send a message and not buy the fight

[@randyv8232]

He is in the money mayweather part of his career.

[@ChichiNaka]

By not fighting and making 1/10th of what Nganou makes

[@goodwillhunt6613]

​@@ChichiNakaIn the aspects of career making decisions. He decides who he'll fight, not the casuals

[@guillermogarcia9694]

​@@goodwillhunt6613 casuals don't watch this sport for 15+ years bud

[@eddiediesel9035]

Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champ and everyone knows it.

[@Crob9577]

Yes he is. a fight between jon and Alex is only appealing to people who don't watch much fighting imo

[@Crob9577]

I wouldn't even consider myself a "hardcore" fan and I still know how stupid this whole situation is

[@sdalal1110]

Jon Jones has rightfully earned the chance to focus on legacy-defining bouts that come with the biggest paydays. With only a few fights left, it’s logical for him to target marquee matchups over up-and-comers. But if he and Aspinall eventually clash, fans should expect Jones to deliver a masterclass-just as he has done against every challenger before.

[@edj6841]

True he can fight who he wants... after he vacates the belt.

[@mikeg103]

Jones beat all those legends as they were past their prime and WAY smaller than him. Smh what a joke

[@grantmaier5618]

Don’t forget, Tom asked for the same-day eliminator against Jones, Stipe, and Gane.

[@fordcass4325]

Yeh that would be cool! Think it was Poatan not Gane tho!

[@BXBZ88]

Duck Down Low Jones....

[@sfmoosavian]

As a massive fan of Jon and also someone who loves Tom Aspinall, there are two points about all these MMA shows and podcasts: (1) It is staggering that all of them totally dismiss Stipe, and they all think Jon can easily beat Stipe; (2) Give Jon 10-15 million, and he will fight Tom Aspinall! Jon is playing mind games, as usual. People apparently have forgotten! If Jon is seriously ducking Aspinall, it would be the most terrible way to end his beyond-legendary career as the greatest fighter in the known recorded history of combat sports.

[@pauljohnson1256]

As a fan of Jon, answer this question pls. Why did he literally wait 3 years to fight in HW ? You think he wasn't scared of Francis ? He literally moved to heavyweight in 50 days after they announced Francis would leave.😂😂 For 3 years he couldn't but the month Francis left he moved to HW.

[@Sapologiee]

​@pauljohnson1256 you're not a fan lol stop masking yourself and say it with your chest

[@ronparker8391]

jones lost to reyes

[@mikeconlon3246]

Tom Aspinall has already made himself undeniable at HW the division that Jon is the Champion of. And somehow thats not enough for Rick, he needs to make himself undeniable as a contender in 2 different weight classes. sure Tom would only have to lose 50 pounds to go down in weight, and Pereiras not moving up in weight to fight Tom before Jon. so he has just set an impossible goal as the thing that would make him worthy to fight Jon. it's insane the mental gymnastics Jones fans will go through to justify him ducking Tom.

[@xftbllplyr2091]

This is my thing. People are sh1tg on Jon Jones but he isn’t the blame here. The responsibility clearly is on the UFC. The UFC shouldn’t have made an interim title when Jones got hurt, when they knew that Jones and Stipe fight was Ironclad. 2. Why would they have Pavlovich as a backup fighter when they didn’t allow him to fight Stipe. If stipe would have won, I 100% guarantee that MMA fans would have no problem with him earning a title shot. But he is backing in another title fight with a loss. So what are they going to do if one of them gets hurt, will they just ice Aspinall? 3. Who cares what Jones says. The UFC ultimately makes the decision on who the champ fights. If Jones don’t want to fight Aspinall, strip him.

[@kratos8529]

True , interim belt is non sense

[@whh3946]

Absolute waffle, stipe refused to fight Pav for the interim. So thats why tom was called to fight the back up fighter, to keep the card alive! Tom isn’t fighting Pav on weeks notice for nothing… You casual Jones d riders are embarrassing, you all voted for that indian woman too 😂

[@saulskate100]

Regardless of which fight would do more for Jon’s legacy … as the current champ, Jon returning to the octagon while avoiding to fight anyone other than the interim champ is ducking. PERIOD.

[@yankeydoodoodoo]

You cannot be the greatest when you are a known drug cheat... This is not Bodybuilding! DJ is the GOAT in MMA..

[@jwlcs32]

I get how JJ not wanting to fight Aspinall is not a great look, but I don't agree that if he doesn't fight him that his legacy is tainted to a degree that he is no longer the GOAT. He deserves some credit for a decades undefeated streak. If anything, his outside the octagon antics should be what spoils his legacy.

[@brianschanne6941]

Jon jones beat Ryan Bader and then took the Shogun fight on weeks notice bc Rashad was injured. I’m sure Shogun thought that was the easier fight. After that he was champ and they had to fight him

[@A4RON123]

This comment doesn’t fit the popular narrative though

[@shettywap]

There's no way to determine that Shogun thought this would be an easier fight, as his actions and words have never indicated this. He got notified a month before. He was willing to pull in late notice as a non champ, but not as a champ. This is a smart move as a champion. But yeah, most first time challengers are willing to pull up short notice for a title fight. And a month is short, but that's not the worst time line for notice.

[@shanenoak5765]

Absolutely if you want to have a legends fight, have a legend fight. Leave the belt out of it if you don’t wanna participate in the real rankings.

[@vuyanimajola5685]

Tom he might be that good, for now we can not predict the future.

[@callumlamb7550]

Justifying the Alex fight by saying it’s “bigger” is so stupid. Why not do Jones vs a square shaped, 200 pound roidy McGregor then. Or shove Brock Lesnar back in.

[@GabrielGarzo-ok3bf]

The extra picograms did it first.

[@ultimatefighttalk5525]

It seems to me that all people are talking about is Jones ducking Tom which is frustrating. Jones needs to get past Stipe who is absolutely worthy opponent. Yes Stipe is older now but so is Jones who is also new to HW and unproven. Lets start talking about what a good a fight this could potentially be instead of who Jones could fight if he wins.

[@MohamedBulhanny]

He's ducking aspinall 😂🎉🦆🦆🦆🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@TheJuanvegas]

He wouldn't keep bringing up the ducking if it wasn't affecting him because it is true. Fighting Jones was doing nothing for Shoguns' legacy at the time, he still had to fight him if he wanted to keep the belt

[@vuyanimajola5685]

Tom might lose to Gane

[@Adam-hx1gw]

Tom submits him in one

[@vuyanimajola5685]

@ or not we haven’t really seen that much on Tom

[@ozzee5094]

@@vuyanimajola5685aspinall fight time average is 2 minutes he’s one of the most dominant heavyweight forces in history and has already destroyed and finished 5 out of the top 10 ranked current heavyweights

[@biniammersha5993]

Wanting to fight the LHW champ while the interim HW champ waiting for title unification is ridiculous! Jon is seriously scared of tom and knows he would have no advantages against him

[@shable1436]

It's the very definition of ducking, and his explanation makes no sense, so interim title means nothing? Or it only means something if you want it to mean something? Basically it's worthless then, and having to defend it means nothing, so why do they hype it up then innthe first place, just to shut up fighters and control them more?

[@joshuawoods7775]

Jones said he doesnt want to gamble with Aspinall making a name off of him, but thats exactly what the legends who Jones beat have done with him. I honestly think he couldnt deal with losing to Tom, and knows that he would spiral back into hard drugs and driving cars into people again

[@giovannivargas5564]

I like Tom and I too believe he is really good, BUT his legacy won't be that big at all, because this era of heavyweights is the worst and doesn't seem it will get better in the long years.

[@benburnett8109]

dumbest comment on the internet

[@desertraider8628]

All divisions are weak right now ,it's the same guys fighting each other over and over

[@juanmoorethyme3119]

Such a classic Arie L take. He's not building up hype, in the words of Tony Soprano, hheeee'ssss aaaa .....

[@vuyanimajola5685]

Same people were pushing for Tom vs Alex. But they are discrediting Jon vs Alex? Why it like that

[@TheRyanshamowski]

People wanted Alex to fight Tom because Tom had nothing to do and Jones was already spoken for. Mainly because they're hell bent on having him fight Stipe. Then Tom fought Curtis Blades, and Alex fought Rountree. After that Magomed Ankalaev won his fight. Now he's going to fight Alex. But was is Tom to do. He's actually defended the Belt something Jon has yet to do. Jon see's the writing on the wall, he's legit ruined his legacy.

[@vuyanimajola5685]

@ well a fight against Tom is not adding anything on Jon’s legacy, atleast not now. It will only ruin a chance to see a bigger fight between Jon vs Alex. At this moment Tom is not the guy he still need to prove himself. Jon is already a legend in the sport he can’t just take fight just because.

[@BingeThinker1814]

Because Alex vs Tom potentially determines the first UFC 3 division champion. Everyone expects Tom to win, but would love to see Alex move up again and become champion. Jon vs Alex is literally just him moving back down to face smaller opponents because he's scared of the heavyweight champion

[@Sammy-iw7do]

@@vuyanimajola5685 its not about jons legacy ffs, its about unifying the belt which is what supposed to happen

[@vuyanimajola5685]

@ but he said he doesn’t mind to vacate the belt. What the issue?

[@Captainfluffy25]

15:24 Tom is proven too. In fact what has Alex do that Tom hasn’t other than get the belt? Alex defended his title against #2 jiri, Tom knocked out the former #2 segei to get the belt. Alex then defended against #8 Khalil. Tom defended his interim against #4 blaydes. Tom has 9 finishes since 2020. Alex has 7. Tom has beaten 5/10 of the top ranked. Alex has beaten 3/10 of the top ranked. Tom is legit proven the only thing he doesn’t have is the undisputed belt cause Jon won’t fight him for it

[@ryandavis7684]

Jones is not the GOAT, he picked his fights throughout his career! He’s scared of Tom and the world can see it.

[@themrluckyyt]

The fight never makes sense for him when he's the underdog

[@EveK-North]

Jon at LHW: 🐐 Jon at HW: 🦆

[@syedmohammadbaqirrizvi5577]

He wasn't even that good

[@27retrodaze]

Yes! NYR said it correctly... Have Aspinall fight Alex for his Interim and the winner fights Bones/Stipe winner...

[@floww88]

Alex vs jones is a way bigger ppv then tom vs jones

[@RurouniKenshinShinta]

Also, just want to say, your co-host is amazing, he's one of my favorite journalist in the game, bro has mad potential, super smart, super aware, understands MMA and reviews every fighter logically. You guys make the best DUO.

[@marquescober-thomas6260]

Is this similar to when GSP dropped his belt and didn’t want to fight Whittaker? Gsp jumped the line and won the title with no intention of defending

[@Dan-yh8qp]

Yes and GSP did it the way we all want Jones to. GSP dropped the belt within months (maybe weeks I can’t remember) of winning it because he was never going to defend it.

[@bigsirbry]

GSP never held a belt hostage and retired after that. Also it’s not even close to scrutiny Jones is getting for not fighting Aspinall. There is literally no other option at heavyweight.

[@EKk8819]

Lets be honest Aspinall vs Jones would sell out EVERYTHING! This fight would be so hype, cuz Jones would be walking to his own grave and everyone would love to see it! All the people acting like Poatan sells more then Tom, maybe, but Tom vs Jones is THE fight, this would probably sell more the anything Pereirra has done or could with Jones.. That's thee fight! So Jones acting like Alex is a better option cuz the money, not cuz he's scared of Tom, he'd get way more money fighting Tom I think. I think Dana would throw the check book to him for that fight!

[@fordcass4325]

Totally!

[@Jbattles713]

Aspinall definitely needs Jones. That’s why people are so upset. This would be the only name worth mentioning on his resume so far.

[@beretta9566]

Jones is not tryin to sell the tom fight. He did the same thing with francis and never fought him

[@bedur_6917]

Jon jones is the GOAT...there is no man on earth that can beat him inside the octagon.

[@979williams9]

Without jones or stipe, the HW division is nothing and aspinall desperately needs this fight😂 especially with francis gone. As soon as Gane fights him hype train over

[@DynastyIcon]

hard to ruin something that's already cemented.. i know Jon's haters are riding Aspinall cuz they wanna see him knock Jon out but at the end of the day , he's the GOAT 💯 some ppl might not wanna accept it or wish they change that but its set in stone.. fighting or not fighting Aspinall wont change anything 🤷‍♂️

[@dylan6480]

So why not just fight him if it “won’t change anything”

[@AntwanGames]

Somewhat true, as far at statistics and everything his legacy is set in stone. His name is in the history books forever , on paper he’s the goat.. But as far as public opinion you better believe how fans and media will talk about his career when it ends will definitely come down to whether or not he fights Tom . It would change how people view his legacy 100% , it would leave a huge stain if he doesn’t fight Aspinall. More people will talk about how he avoided that fight than all the fights before . That’s just how it is. If Jon really cared about his legacy he’d open his eyes and realize he needs to take that fight .

[@xftbllplyr2091]

Here is some history. Jon has been supposedly ducking fighter his entire career (by MMA fans). Jon has been ducking a rematch with Reyes. When Jones won and Blachowicz won the title. Jon was ducking Blachowicz and he ran from LHW Jon said he was going to move to HW, he is ducking Francis. And he will not fight HW because he is scared After Jon beats Gane, he is ducking Pavlovich. After Pavlovich gets knocked out by Aspinall Jon is ducking Aspinall. And if he beats Aspinall, he would be ducking Reug Reug from One Championship

[@benburnett8109]

are you doing the same amount of coke that bones did?

[@JahanWeak]

@@DynastyIcon thats too much yapping, he ducking plain and simple, dont make it complicated fanboy

[@louissparks2325]

(Tommy) Aspinall’s finished Volkov, Pavlovich and Blaydes all in the first round, three out of the top five heavyweights (Aspinall ranked 1st). What else has Aspinall got to to prove to Jones. Jon Jones is just belittling Aspinall, cherry picking easier fights. Aspinall is the BEST in the heavyweight division and Jones doesn’t fancy the risk!

[@The_FightGuru]

Everyone should take a good look at Tom Aspinal’s record. Who has he beaten. It doesn’t matter if he’s next in line. The heavyweight division has been the weakest division through out UFC history. Aspinal will be here today and gone tomorrow. Anyone that says else wise doesn’t know anything about (MMA legacy.) Aspinal needs Jones. Jon Jones does not need Aspinal.

[@josephquintana1716]

Lmao… people like this existing hurts the rest of us

[@CRT4Dummies]

youre completely delusional. tom has done exponentially more than jones at heavyweight. and nobody is beating tom for at least 5 years. jones needs to fight blades and volkov or pavlovich and win to earn a shot at tom's title. thats whats up for real

[@CRT4Dummies]

​@@josephquintana1716you dont know how right you are brother

[@Sammy-iw7do]

@@CRT4Dummies 100%

[@The_FightGuru]

@@josephquintana1716 causal mma fan