Israel Adesanya gives brutally honest opinion on Jon Jones avoiding title fight with Tom Aspinall: "You get burned out"

Israel Adesanya recently shared his thoughts on the widespread assertions that Jon Jones is attempting to avoid a potential title unification showdown with Tom Aspinall. ‘Bones’ is set to defend his heavyweight title for the first time against Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 309 this Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Since claiming the interim heavyweight title at UFC 295, Aspinall has persistently called out Jones for an undisputed championship bout. However, Jones has repeatedly dismissed the challenge, stating that a fight with the Brit doesn’t significantly impact his legacy, sparking speculation among fans that he’s afraid of a loss as his career approaches its final stages.

During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Adesanya expressed his desire to see the Jones vs. Aspinall fight come to fruition. However, he also suggested that 'Bones', having been in the fight game for so many years, maybe feeling the effects of his long career, which could explain his reluctance to face the interim champion:

"The thing is, when you're in this game for so long at the highest level, you get burnt out. But again, he's had time off because of things outside the octagon, which helped. Still, that's another load of stress you have to deal with in your own life. So, you get burnt out, and at some point, who knows? He just might want to go live his life, do other things, take other avenues. But again, you're right, the risk vs. the reward — he has to make that call on his terms."

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (11:32):

Jones is set to make his return to the octagon after more than a year, following his dominant submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023, where he claimed the heavyweight title.

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Jon Jones shares why he feels Tom Aspinall doesn’t deserve the chance to face him

During the UFC 309 media scrum on Wednesday, Jon Jones finally revealed the rationale behind his reluctance to face Tom Aspinall after his bout with Stipe Miocic.

'Bones' firmly explained that the key reason for his lack of interest in facing Aspinall next is the Brit's approach in pushing for the fight:

"I'm being completely honest; I feel like Tom's been such an a**hole that I don’t want to do business with him... I’m like, bro if you had a little bit more respect, then maybe we could have something out. I just don’t even want to do business with him. At the end of the day, this is a business. Fighting me gives him the opportunity to change his life forever. I don’t even want to give him the opportunity. He just played his cards wrong with me, personally."

Check out Jon Jones' comments below (21:58):