Tom Aspinall fired back at Jon Jones’ attempt to mock his loss to Curtis Blaydes, and he also asserted that he is prepared to bide his time for his shot at the undisputed title after UFC 304.
Jones was scheduled to defend his undisputed heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 last November. Unfortunately, a torn pectoral tendon forced him out, resulting in the cancellation of the bout.
As a result, Aspinall stepped up on short notice to face Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight title. The British fighter claimed the belt with a stunning knockout just over a minute into the opening round.
After his triumph, Aspinall called for a title unification bout with Jones through numerous interviews and lively exchanges on social media. However, “Bones” declined, expressing his preference to reschedule his bout with Miocic instead.
Feeling frustrated by the lack of activity, the Englishman has opted to defend his interim title against former Blaydes in the co-main event of UFC 304, set for July 27 in Manchester.
The two formidable heavyweights initially clashed at UFC Fight Night London in July 2022. The matchup was marked by Aspinall’s TKO defeat following an unexpected knee injury just 15 seconds into the bout.
Earlier this month, Jones replied to a fan on X who predicted that Aspinall would knock him out within three rounds in a potential fight. In his response, the former longtime UFC light heavyweight contended that Aspinall was “getting that a** kicked” by Blaydes before his knee gave out.
Instead of responding to Jones’ many verbal jabs, Aspinall is now directing his focus toward avenging his loss against “Razor.”
Aspinall Looks Beyond Jones, Aims for Undisputed Gold After UFC 304
During a recent appearance on Michael Bisping’s BELIEVE YOU ME podcast, Aspinall emphasized that he remains unfazed by Jones’ verbal taunts and has no immediate interest in fighting him.
Instead, he highlighted his current focus on his upcoming bout against Blaydes at UFC 304.
“This is actually the first rematch of my entire career, amateur and professional. I’ve never fought the same guy twice before,” Aspinall said. “I mean, the first one wasn’t really a fight. You can’t really judge your 15 seconds and a quick exchange… Honestly, I’m not really bothered about it at the moment. Curtis Blaydes is all that really matters to me right now.”
“I’m not really thinking about that. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I know that some people want me to smack talk… So I’ll be focused on Curtis Blaydes until the fight’s over with.”
The interim heavyweight champion also stated his readiness to await the opportunity for the undisputed title after a potential victory over Blaydes in their rematch.
“If I win this win one in an impressive fashion, then the next thing for me is the undisputed, and there’s no two ways around. I’m happy to wait or do whatever after that [UFC 304]. After this one, mate, it has to be undisputed next because I deserve it.”
- Read More: Is Not A Good Look’ – MMA Fans React To Jon Jones Posting Clip Of Tom Aspinall’s Serious Knee Injury Against Curtis Blaydes In 2022
