Nightmare Jon Jones scenario will spell "disaster" for UFC, says analyst while sharing bitter truth about heavyweight division: "A barren wasteland" 

The UFC’s heavyweight division might face a major crisis if Jon Jones defeats Tom Aspinall and retires, according to a popular MMA analyst. Many believe Jones is clogging the division by allegedly avoiding a title unification fight with interim champion Tom Aspinall. Instead, Jones opted for a legacy fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.

Historically, interim champions fought the reigning champion, but this tradition is seemingly being ignored. If Jones wins and leaves, the division loses its biggest draw, creating a void with no clear successor.

MMA analyst Luke Thomas recently delved into the heavyweight landscape on his YouTube channel. Reacting to a fan comment on the aforementioned scenario in a potential Jones vs. Aspinall clash, Thomas claimed that the UK MMA star, despite proving his skills by defending the interim title against Curtis Blaydes, seemingly has no true rival.

A fight against Ciryl Gane seems like a worthy matchup, but the Frenchman’s previous struggles against elite grapplers make him an uncertain challenger. According to Thomas:

"If presumably Jon Jones thoroughly outclasses Tom and retires... Disaster! That would be a disaster, straight up. I mean, there’s no other way to put it. That’d be a disaster. It’s bad enough that Tom, after Jon or whatever happens with him, has no real rival. You can make the Gane fight."

Thomas added:

"I don’t think that’s the worst fight in the world.... But it’s hard for me to believe that over time, Gane’s going to win that one, and that’s the best that they can probably do in the absence of Jon. This is a barren wasteland of a division."

Check out Luke Thomas' comments below (8:00):

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Tom Aspinall's former rival details Jon Jones' wrestling could be key against the UK MMA star

Tom Aspinall is reportedly gearing up for a potential title unification clash against Jon Jones. UFC CEO Dana White recently confirmed that the organization is working towards orchestrating the fight.

While fans eagerly anticipate their title unification bout, Aspinall's former rival has revealed a clear path to victory for Jones. In 2015, regional fighter Stuart Austin outwrestled and submitted Aspinall, during their clash in BAMMA 21.

Austin believes Jones can use a similar approach, relying on clinch work and wrestling to neutralize Aspinall’s speed and striking. Speaking in an interview with talkSPORT.com, Austin said:

“I think clinch and wrestling would probably be the way to go for Jon, because if he strikes with Aspinall, I think there’s only one person going to win that fight. His power and his speed and accuracy of getting to the target is really, really impressive. So maybe Jon could test the deep waters, try and take him a little bit further. But again, maybe you don’t have that as a choice." [H/t: talkSPORT.com]