UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is getting ready to fight Jon Jones in a unification bout, although he doesn’t quite know when that will happen.
Aspinall is hopeful he’ll get the chance to face the current heavyweight champ and one of the all-time greats. After a great holiday season with his family, Aspinall said on his YouTube channel that he’s back to business.
“Got to get back to reality now and get back training for the biggest fight in MMA at the moment,” Aspinall said.
Jones recently stopped Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 309 in November, and did so in front of Aspinall who was sitting cage side. “Bones” has called for a fight with light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira on multiple occasions, but has said he’d fight Aspinall if he got “f*ck you money,” while also hinting at retirement.
Following UFC Tampa in December, UFC CEO Dana White “100 percent” guaranteed the fight between Jones and Aspinall would happen in 2025.
So where are things at? Aspinall was asked about an update on how things are going.
“I don’t have any latest on the Jones fight, unfortunately,” Aspinall explained. “Just waiting at the moment. I’ve said yes to the fight. I’ve agreed to it, obviously, and that’s it. I’m just waiting for his side now and [for] the UFC to sort it out.”
Aspinall has already defended his interim title successfully against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 this past July, stopping the veteran quickly in the first round. The 31-year-old remains positive the fight will happen, and if — and whenever — it does he’ll be ready.
“Yeah, I’m just training and getting everything focused to be as fit and ready as I possibly can because, who knows, they might spring the date on me quick,” Aspinall said. “Or they might say the date is in six months, I don’t know. But that’s always kind of what happens between fights anyway — you never really know when your next one is.”
