What if we’ve seen the last of Jon Jones?
Jones entered the heavyweight division on borrowed time
The MMA Notebook runs every Friday.
In this edition:
What is next for Jon Jones?
Weekend predictions
A fight against Tom Aspinall is no certainty for Jon Jones
It feels like a page right out of Conor McGregor’s playbook.
McGregor last fought in 2021. Yet for the past four years he has vowed to come back and fight again.
Is that also how it ends for Jon Jones?
The reigning heavyweight champ, Jones is in no hurry to fight Tom Aspinall. But even though Aspinall won the interim title 18 months ago, no title unification fight between the two has been scheduled.
Yet they’re both healthy. So what is happening?
Jones is either ducking Aspinall or he wants an exorbitant sum of cash to fight. Perhaps it is a combination of both. But Jones, who turns 38 this summer, has employed an extremely cautious approach since defeating Stipe Miocic this past November. Based off his post-fight interviews, it seems like Jones prefers to fight Alex Pereira instead of Aspinall.
Pereira lost some of his shine in March when he dropped the light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev. But if Pereira wins the inevitable rematch, there would be a market correction that allows him to restore his place atop the UFC. And, of course, set up a bout against Jones.
“I’m not really worried about the Tom fight, but I am really worried about the Pereira fight,” Jones said in November after defeating Miocic. “That’s what I want to do, and if the UFC wants to have me back, then I think that’s the fight that they’ll make.
“I have been really clear about my intentions. That’s what I want, and I mean, I just feel like anybody would understand that at this point… I’ll retire the heavyweight belt if I have to, give the guy [Aspinall] what he wants.”
As it turns out, Jones was forecasting his future. Six months after making those comments, there has been no progress on a fight against Aspinall. UFC CEO Dana White has stated outright that it doesn’t make sense for Pereira to fight Jones, but there is no denying that it would be a monster fight.
Aspinall has no choice but to remain vocal. At this point, he has nothing to lose. If Jones is fighting again this November at Madison Square Garden–and that is far from certain–then it will be against one of two men: Aspinall or Pereira.
Considering he is the interim champ, that means Aspinall cannot take another fight until, at the earliest, this winter in hopes that Jones will return. If Aspinall fights this summer, then he is taking an enormous risk, as a loss would dissolve any shot he has of taking on Jones.
But the more time passes, the less likely it is that we see Jones back in the cage. We’ve seen how this has played out before.
And it feels an awful lot like history is repeating itself.
The Pick ‘Em Section
UFC on ESPN women’s flyweight bout: Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber
Pick: Erin Blanchfield
UFC on ESPN lightweight bout: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ľudovít Klein
Pick: Mateusz Gamrot
UFC on ESPN welterweight bout: Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Billy Ray Goff
Pick: Billy Ray Goff
UFC on ESPN light heavyweight bout: Dustin Jacoby vs. Bruno Lopes
Pick: Dustin Jacoby
UFC on ESPN women’s bantamweight bout: Ketlen Vieira vs. Macy Chiasson
Pick: Macy Chiasson
****
Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Playing hard to get can only do so much and Aspinall is suffering because of Jones dangling the carrot that's so out of reach.