Jon Jones ‘the real’ UFC heavyweight champion

PERTH, Australia – Jairzinho Rozenstruik sees Jon Jones as the true heavyweight champion – not Tom Aspinall.

Many consider interim heavyweight champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who’s coming off back-to-back first-round knockouts of Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes, the true champion due to being more active than heavyweight champion Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC).

Not Rozenstruik, though.

“I mean, let’s be honest: Jon Jones is the real champ,” Rozenstruik said at Wednesday’s UFC 305 media day. “Tom did what he’s supposed to do as an interim champ because he’s in line for the next championship fight, but Jon Jones is the real champ – to take nothing away from Tom. He did an amazing job, and that’s what he’s supposed to do.”

Rozenstruik (14-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) will look to string together his first winning streak since 2019 when he meets the skidding Tai Tuivasa (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 305 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) main card at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

Tuivasa has his back against the wall having lost four straight, but Rozenstruik doesn’t see him changing his approach because of it.

“When I look at Tai, he’s a guy that doesn’t show fear, and that’s what I’m looking at (Saturday),” Rozenstruik said. “If he comes out different, that will be weird. But show no fear – that’s it. When you go forward, he’s dangerous – and that’s what I’m counting on.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 305.