Jon Jones vehemently defends need to combat Alex Pereira

NEW YORK – To the followers who hold clamoring for UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones to combat Tom Aspinall as a result of Aspinall is the interim champ, he hears you. He’s simply not going to hear.

After all, Jones first has to retain his belt this Saturday when he meets former champ Stipe Miocic within the UFC 309 important occasion at Madison Sq. Backyard. The chances counsel that shouldn’t be an issue as Jones is a roughly 6-1 favourite to beat 42-year-old Miocic coming off a three-and-a-half-year layoff, and that’s why everyone seems to be wanting forward.

Below regular circumstances, Jones already could be unifying the title with Aspinall this weekend, however legacy is what issues most to Jones at this stage of his profession, therefore why he caught with a title protection in opposition to Miocic, who’s broadly thought to be the best heavyweight of all time, that was purported to occur a yr in the past. On prime of that, Jones has made it clear that if he doesn’t retire after UFC 309, he needs what he views as one other legacy combat in opposition to fellow UFC two-division champ Alex Pereira.

It’s prompted followers to criticize Jones for “ducking” Aspinall, a few of whom he’s responded to on social media in latest days. When the subject was broached Wednesday throughout UFC 309 media day, Jones used the platform to vehemently defend himself and clarify, in nice element, why followers have all of it incorrect.

“I really feel like narratives have been created that simply actually aren’t there. You may’t duck a person that you simply have been by no means scheduled to combat,” Jones instructed reporters, together with MMA Junkie. “It’s like saying you bought turned down by a lady whenever you by no means even hit on her. You already know what I’m saying? Me and Dana (White) and Hunter (Campbell) have by no means sat down and talked about Tom Aspinall. He’s by no means been on my radar. I imply, only a second in the past it was him and Sergei (Pavlovich) that was combating (for the interim title at UFC 295). Sergei could possibly be on this place proper now, and I’d nonetheless be in the identical place of – I’ve beat individuals my complete profession. And as soon as I beat them, the present simply goes on. The French followers have been simply throughout my case, and I simply beat their gu (Ciryl Gane at UFC 285). I discover myself consistently in the identical place of, ‘Oh wow, he simply beat one other man. What’s subsequent?’ After I beat Glover Teixeira, he was on a 20-fight successful streak. You beat Glover after which all the things simply strikes on.

“I get that Tom is an thrilling fighter. I get that lastly, after 16 years, we’ve discovered anyone who’s seven years youthful than me and 30 kilos greater than me. Like, we’ve lastly discovered somebody who could give me an important problem, and everybody needs to see it so unhealthy. However for me, what’s in it for me? He alters nothing if I beat him. Beating Tom is rather like beating Ciryl Gane. He has a complete nation behind him; he’s sizzling proper now. What occurs to me after I beat him? Nothing modifications for me. So, I’m not ducking Tom Aspinall. If I didn’t combat Stipe, I’d be ducking Stipe as a result of we contractually have been signed as much as combat over a yr in the past. That is Stipe’s place. The Tom narrative got here out of nowhere. He received a belt, and now instantly I’m ducking him. I’ve by no means even had negotiations to combat him, if this is smart. So the followers are simply ignoring it. They’re ignoring all logic, and so they simply have lastly discovered somebody who they suppose can compete with me, and everybody needs to see it now.”

What if the UFC needs Jones vs. Aspinall?

If Jones defeats Miocic as anticipated, the state of affairs will get actual and the query will probably be: What do Dana White and the UFC brass need? What if they need the titles unified and so they throw sufficient cash at Jones? Might that do the trick?

Jones seems to be dug in on his place it doesn’t matter what.

“He does nothing for me. If you happen to’re an individual that wishes to see me actually challenged, then I get it. Like I stated, seven years youthful, like 35 kilos greater than me, proper? I get it. ‘Jon is so good, we lastly discovered somebody means youthful and means greater than him. Let’s see how he does in opposition to that.’ I get that narrative,” Jones stated. “However for me, in the event you have been my supervisor, in the event you have been on my staff, why not combat in opposition to Pereira? A man who’s the identical age as you, and we stroll across the similar actual measurement. Now, I needed to eat a giant breakfast as a result of I’m getting beneath 235 (kilos). Pereira walks round at like 240, and he has magnificent accolades. Enterprise-wise, it makes extra sense.

“Battle the no person that could be extra harmful, or combat the man with all of the accolades, who’s extremely harmful however really will have an effect on your legacy? Me beating Ciryl Gane didn’t change something for me, simply gave me a number of extra tens of millions. And it might be the identical for Tom Aspinall whereas, whenever you look again, ‘Jon simply beat Alex Pereira,’ it’s greater. It’s simply greater. And anyone who can’t perceive that logic merely doesn’t wish to.”