A date for Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall looks no closer to being confirmed, although UFC president Dana White has said he is targeting a summer event for the heavyweight title fight.
Aspinall won the interim belt in late 2023, after regular-title holder Jones suffered an injury that ruled him out for a year. In Jones’s absence, Aspinall even defended the interim gold – an unusual move in the UFC – and retained it, before Jones returned and defended his own belt.
However, Jones’s successful title defence came against Stipe Miocic, whom he was due to face before getting injured, meaning Aspinall has been forced to wait for the standard match-up between a regular and interim champion. Jones’s dismissive attitude towards the prospect of a fight with the Briton has also complicated matters.
“The plan is [for Aspinall] to fight Jon this summer,” White, the UFC president, said on The Jim Rome Show. “Obviously when, where and all that stuff is being determined. My goal this year is to make that fight [with] Aspinall.
“I think that the fight that everybody wants to see right now is Jones and Aspinall, and then there’s no doubt that Pereira could fight the winner.”
White was referring to light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who defends his title against Magomed Ankalaev this weekend, in the main event of UFC 313.
“The other thing about Pereira that everybody loves is, this guy wants to go up to heavyweight and fight at heavyweight, too,” White continued. “I’m the one that’s actually holding him back on that.
“He wants to [fight Jones]. Let’s see how this fight [against Ankalaev] plays out – if he wins, how he wins, all that kind of stuff.”
Before winning the UFC heavyweight title in early 2023, Jones took a three-year hiatus from MMA. Before taking that break, he vacated the light-heavyweight title, ending his second reign with the belt.
The American, 37, is considered by many to be the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. However, Jones’s career has been marred by numerous failed drug tests and run-ins with the law.
Meanwhile, 31-year-old Aspinall seems to be entering his prime. His sole UFC loss came via injury in 2023, but he has won his eight other fights in the UFC – and all by stoppage (seven in the first round, one in the second round).
