Ariel Helwani shares his biggest fear about Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall being delayed till November: "Sounds familiar? Chandler-McGregor?"

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani has shared his thoughts on the delayed title unification fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. He compared the situation to the infamous Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler matchup, which never materialized.

After beating Stipe Miocic last year, the expectation has been that Jones will take on interim champion Aspinall next. However, reports claim that 'Bones' now wants at least six months to prepare for the Brit, essentially eliminating the possibility of them squaring off this summer, as previously projected by UFC CEO Dana White.

In the latest installment of The Ariel Helwani Show, the host weighed in on the delay:

"What worries me is that, they say, 'We're saving this for New York.' And now, Aspinall has to wait another eight months. Jon [vs.] Stipe could've happened before New York, But they wanted it for MSG. They don't care about Tom's timeline, they don't care about that timeline at all."

Comparing Jones vs. Aspinall to McGregor vs. Chandler, he added:

"That worries me. Because, if they tell Tom, 'Please just sit tight, you're getting this fight. You're just gonna have to wait couple months.' And then he waits those months, and then it doesn't happen. Sound familiar? Chandler-McGregor? And then what does he do?"

Check out Ariel Helwani's comments below:

McGregor was slated to fight Chandler at the end of 'The Ultimate Fighter' back in 2023, but his spat with USADA and promotional obligations for his appearance in the 'Road House' remake delayed the bout. The matchup was confirmed for UFC 303 last year, but the Irishman had to withdraw from the bout after suffering a toe injury and hasn't competed since.

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Michael Bisping reacts to Jon Jones reportedly wanting six months to prepare for Tom Aspinall fight

With recent reports suggesting that Jon Jones wants six months to train for Tom Aspinall, former champion Michael Bisping has questioned the former light heavyweight champion's reasoning.

Sharing his disapproval of the demands allegedly laid out by 'Bones', Bisping said in a recent video posted to his YouTube channel:

"This fight needs to happen and if he's saying that he wants six months, then I don't quite get it. I don't quite understand why do you need six months?"

He continued:

"Six months is a very long time, half a year. You don't need six months okay? There's not a lot gonna change at 37 years old, with Jon Jones having one of the greatest careers we've ever seen."

Check out Michael Bisping's comments below: (2:17)