Aspinall Tells Jones: ‘The Next Fight Has To Be For Undisputed’

“I’m over it at this point. I’m fighting Curtis Blaydes. It’s a tough fight and I’m preparing for Curtis, so Jon Jones and all the rest of the politics are pretty irrelevant to me right now. (I’m) focused on him and nothing else. … If I win this one, which I believe I will, the next fight has to be for undisputed (title) – definitely. I’ll wait it out if I have to after this one. But for right now, that doesn’t exist,” Aspinall said

But the Brit must get past Blaydes. Jon Jones has already questioned whether Aspinall will win this fight. Blaydes is also talking up his chances, as he knows what is at stake. The winner becomes the biggest threat to Jones’ title. Bones looks reluctant to fight Aspinall.

However, a Blaydes win would allow Jones to defend his belt against the best without having to address the question of Aspinall. Since beating Aspinall, Blaydes has had a mixed run of form. He lost his next fight against Sergei Pavlovich, the man whom Aspinall stopped in round one. However, he bounced back with a win in his last fight against Jailton Almeida. He was confident heading into this fight.

Blaydes Reacts

“I knew that I would have another opportunity to fight him again. Whether or not it was for a belt, I wouldn’t have been able to guess it. But I think it’s a little poetic that it is for a belt. He’s a cool dude. There’s no beef. I don’t know if I’ll be able to, but I would like to disperse the negative narrative that you have to hate the guy you’re gonna fight.

“I’ve been an athlete since I was 9, never hated any of my opponents, won a lot – football, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, MMA. Never hated anybody. You don’t have to hate somebody to physically compete and do your best to win. I know he’s gonna do his best to knock me out; I’m gonna do my best to knock him out. But there’s no animosity behind it. It’s just that’s his job, that’s my job,” Blaydes stated