Aspinall: I Didn’t Cause Jones Fight Delay

Tom Aspinall has revealed that the delay in trying to secure a fight with Jon Jones was not his choice.

Aspinall became the UFC Heavyweight Champion after Jones announced his retirement from the sport. The news came as a shock since Dana White was adamant the fight would get made. The failure to do so meant Aspinall was elevated from his interim champ status, having been the longest one in the UFC’s history.

Jones has increased speculation that the fight will happen, having reversed his retirement and having reentered the testing pool. Although he has said he wants to fight at the UFC White House event next June, White remains skeptical. Aspinall has now revealed he was made to wait by the UFC, having started numerous camps for something that never materialized. 

“There were a lot of times when the UFC would tell me, right, ‘The Jon Jones fight is happening in three months’ for example. So we’d start the training camp, the intensity would up and then the date would get moved. That happened like three or four times and then eventually he retired. So it wasn’t like I was literally sat waiting for the full year. I did think that the fight was going to come. Everyone was saying, ‘Why are you waiting?’ I wasn’t waiting. I was getting told that the fight was happening, so there was nothing I could really do. My hands were completely tied by the UFC,” Aspinall said

Who Is To Blame?

While Aspinall is pointing the finger at the UFC, a significant amount of the blame can also be placed on Jones. The final reason the fight didn’t happen was Joness surprise retirement and his decision to vacate the heavyweight belt. Jones has a history of unpredictability, and his last-minute retirement shows that he was not fully committed to the fight.

His decision to un-retire a few months later, and his now-stated desire to fight at the UFC White House event, further highlights his inconsistent nature. Jones’ actions created a situation where the entire heavyweight division was held up.

White also bears some responsibility for the situation. While he was adamant that the fight would get made, his promises to Aspinall never came to fruition. This put Aspinall in a difficult position, as he had to believe his assurances, even though they never materialized. White’s comments now, stating that the odds of a Jones return are “a billion to one,” show that he was aware of the risks involved in waiting for Jones.