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Jon Jones recently acknowledged Tom Aspinall's aspirations for a UFC heavyweight title unification bout and complimented him on his ambition. Although 'Bones' has expressed interest in fighting others who he believes have a greater status in the sports, he took notice of what the interim champion is attempting to do.
The Englishman has made it known he is eager to fight Jones despite the heavyweight champion being dismissive. They have both shared their thoughts on the situation, with Aspinall claiming there is no one more deserving than him, while Jones clapped back by saying that the 31-year-old still has to prove himself in the UFC.
The majority of the MMA community has sided with the interim champion, especially considering that he has defeated the top heavyweight contenders and even defended his title.
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While speaking to ESPN MMA, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion weighed in on the Englishman's desire to fight him. Jones made a comparison to a famous Conor McGregor quote and mentioned that Aspinall is looking for fame, which he doesn't fault him for:
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"Everyone wants to fight me, that's just what it is...Conor [McGregor] calls it, 'Red Panty Night'? Tom's head is in the right place. He should want to fight the top guys in the world. I believe that he has time to fight the top guys in the world. As far as fighting me right now, I'm fighting Stipe [Miocic] and you don't make it this far in a UFC career looking past your opponents." [7:12]
Check out the full interview with Jon Jones below:
Jon Jones says Tom Aspinall has a bright future in the UFC
Despite dismissing Tom Aspinall as an opponent he'd be interested in fighting, Jon Jones did lavish praise on the Englishman and believes he has a bright future in the UFC.
During the aforementioned interview, Jones mentioned that he has taken notice of what Aspinall has accomplished so far in his career and believes there could be more to come in the future:
"I'm aware of Tom [Aspinall] and the work he's put in or lack thereof and I think he could have a tremendous future in the UFC but when you've been around this long, you realize that people are here today and gone tomorrow." [7:42]
Check out Tom Aspinall's callout for Jon Jones from UFC 304 below:
