Rivalries have long been a staple of combat sports, from Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier to Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. Now, Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall appear to be the latest fighters at odds. Jones has openly dismissed the idea of fighting Aspinall, the interim champ, creating tension between the two. The situation escalated further when Aspinall was reportedly blocked from attending the UFC 309 press conference, despite being the official backup for the highly anticipated Jones vs. Miocic heavyweight title fight.
Recently, on the UFC 309: Morning Weigh-In show, Daniel Cormier suggested to Tom Aspinall that he should have appeared at the press conference, saying he would have stolen the show. In response, Aspinall revealed a surprising detail: he had actually asked to attend the presser but was denied entry, despite being the backup fighter for the heavyweight title fight.
He stated, “I got to pull you up DC, I asked to be there at the press conference. I tried to go but I got blacklisted from the press conference.”
This speaks volumes about Jon Jones’ stance on fighting Tom Aspinall. Jones has made it clear that he’s not interested in facing the interim champ, Tom Aspinall. This recent move, excluding Aspinall from the UFC 309 press conference, suggests that Jones might not even want Aspinall around him at all. It’s not just Tom Aspinall—anyone associated with him seems to be on Jon Jones’ no-go list.
Jon Jones Walked Off From Interview Because Of Reporter Has Tom Aspinall Connection
The tension began when Jon Jones scheduled an interview with TNT Sports’ Adam Catterall. However, before the interview even began, Jones abruptly walked out. He told his team, “Hey, I’m not going to do this interview… because it’s going to be an Aspinall fest. I’m not going to do it,” making it clear he wasn’t interested in talking about the interim champ.
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Interestingly, Dana White has stated that the winner of the Jones vs. Miocic fight will have to face Aspinall next. While the UFC heavyweight champ has openly said he doesn’t want to fight Aspinall. Consequently, it’ll be interesting to see how the situation plays out in the heavyweight division moving forward.
Also Read: UFC 309 headliner Stipe Miocic Fires Back At Jon Jones’ Comments About Hiring Black Fighters
