Chael Sonnen gets into debate with Ariel Helwani over Jon Jones’s reluctance to fight Tom Aspinall: "I don't love that"

Jon Jones retained his heavyweight title at UFC 309, defeating Stipe Miocic via third-round TKO. While he had hinted at retirement in the lead-up to the bout, he shared that he would negotiate with the promotion about continuing his career. 'Bones' revealed that he would prefer a super-fight against Alex Pereira, however, he would face Tom Aspinall for the right price.

The former interim heavyweight champion claimed that Jones does not want to face him due to the limited film that is available of him due to his quick finishes. Chael Sonnen recently disagreed with that claim during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, stating:

"So many people are saying that this is a great thing and he's knocked out six guys and they're in the first round. I don't like that because one thing about Jones, he's tough. The people don't credit Jon for that. They credit him for being dynamic and good and versatile. Jon is tough. You get into the fifth round, don't think he's fading. You break his arm in the fourth round, he will show up for the fifth round and he is not fading."

Sonnen continued:

"I don't tell you that Tom would do that, but that is a lot of muscle for anybody to carry around. It's the biggest thing that Francis [Ngannou] has to work against. There's a lot of gifts and advantages, but oxygen late is hard. It did make me think of it differently. Maybe Tom is all those things that Michael Bisping said he is, I just haven't seen it. Tom's only left the first round in the UFC one time. It was to finish Andrei Arlovski in the second round, but I don't love that. I like a guy that can go 18, 20, 23 minutes pretty hard."

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments on Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall below:

Sonnen added that he does not know how Aspinall wrestles or what his defensive wrestling looks like. UFC CEO Dana White has shared that he expects Jones to take some time away before the sides begin negotiating the terms of his next bout.

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Chael Sonnen shares lofty expectations for potential Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall clash

Chael Sonnen revealed that he expects Jon Jones to be fairly compensated if he does face Tom Aspinall. During his recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the three-time title challenger claimed:

"I think Jon is right. I think that's the biggest heavyweight fight of all-time. I think that's the biggest fight our industry can make right now. He's going to leave there with the biggest check and that's going to include soaring over Brock Lesnar and the other greats. He's going to be rewarded for it."

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments on Jon Jones below:

Sonnen added that Jones is in a great spot, with no risks to take on the business side. He said that this bout signifies the big payday the heavyweight champion is looking for. However, it remains unclear what 'Bones' will ask for during negotiations.