UFC veteran believes Jon Jones is "leveraging" his "star" power to ask for 6-month delay for Tom Aspinall fight

UFC veterans Daniel Cormier and Ben Askren recently weighed in on the ambiguity surrounding Jon Jones and his potential bout against Tom Aspinall. Askren believes the delay in the fight being made official is due to 'Bones' using every bit of leverage he can to make the most amount of money.

Jones won the vacant heavyweight title back in March 2023 when he defeated Ciryl Gane. He was then due to defend the belt against Stipe Miocic in November of that same year, but an injury to his pectoral muscle put him on the sidelines for over a year.

In his absense, Aspinall stepped up on short notice to face Sergei Pavlovich for the interim title and knocked out the Russian in the first round. Since then, fans and MMA media have been demanding to see Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall. However, both men have gone on to defend their respective titles against different opponents.

Recently, Dana White teased that the heavyweight showdown could be set to headline a card this summer, but the latest news by Ariel Helwani has suggested Jones wants at least six months to prepare for the fight once it's made official.

Speaking on the latest episode of their Funky and the Champ podcast, Askren shared his thoughts on the situation to 'DC'. He said:

"This is leverage. Jon Jones is leveraging and saying, 'I know I'm the biggest star in the UFC right now.' ... Jones is saying, 'Well, I want six months but if you're going to make it four months, I'm gonna want a little bit more money.'"

Check out Askren's comments below (0:50):

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Top ranked UFC featherweight weighs in on Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall

UFC featherweight contender Arnold Allen believes the delay in making Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall official is a tactic being employed by 'Bones'.

Following Helwani's report that Jones is looking to wait six months in order to face Aspinall, 'Almighty' took to social media to share his thoughts. The Brit compared the situation to a younger boxer looking to face a veteran. He believes Jones is doing the opposite to frustrate Aspinall.

Taking to X, Allen wrote:

“In boxing usually the younger guy forces the older boy to wait until they are past their prime, I feel like Jon’s playing some sort of reverso plan, maybe banking on Tom to rush something or get frustrated 🤔.”

Check out Arnold Allen’s X post here: