The Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall heavyweight saga has become the UFC’s longest-running “will they, won’t they” drama, and Jon Jones is doing his best to make sure nobody blames him for the mess. In a series of recent social media posts, Jones has sidestepped any responsibility for the fight falling through, instead pointing fingers at the UFC, the division, and, of course, everyone but himself.
Jones Plays the Blame Game While UFC Heavyweight Division Hits Pause
Let’s recap: Tom Aspinall, the interim heavyweight champ, has been waiting for his shot at Jon Jones since knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in late 2023. Jones, meanwhile, spent a year on the sidelines with injury, returned to beat Stipe Miocic, and then promptly vanished from the conversation about unifying the belts. While fans and UFC brass have pushed for a Jones-Aspinall showdown, Jones has been busy filming reality TV, collecting presidential memorabilia, and, apparently, counting the money he claims to make by “doing nothing at all… and holding the position.”
On social media, Jon Jones has been quick to downplay Aspinall’s threat. In one tweet, he wrote, “He is no threat to me whatsoever, he should start with just trying to be the best heavyweight of all time, that goal would be plenty. My career is on a completely different planet if we’re being honest.” He’s also taken shots at Aspinall’s record, claiming, “I’ve seen Tom get tapped out twice now by two different people. Time will show. Here today gone tomorrow.”
As for the fight itself, Jon Jones insists he’s not the roadblock. “It sucks to see the rest of the division get slowed down like this, but that has nothing to do with me. I don’t pull the strings,” he posted, painting himself as a humble company man who just happens to be sitting on the title while the rest of the division twiddles their thumbs. He’s even suggested he hasn’t trained since his last fight and that the UFC is happy to keep him as champion, not Tom. Meanwhile, Aspinall has been left in limbo, defending his interim belt just to stay active, a rarity in UFC history.
The UFC, for its part, claims negotiations are ongoing, with Dana White promising that the fight will happen – eventually. But with Jones hinting at retirement and Aspinall openly questioning whether the champ will ever return, fans are left wondering if this is all just a drawn-out exit strategy for Jones. In short, Jones is playing the blame game with a straight face, dodging responsibility for the stalled division while taking potshots at Aspinall’s credentials.
