The wait for Jones vs. Aspinall continues to this day, and fans are beginning to wonder if this isn’t a repeat of Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor, a fight that never happened.
UFC lightweight Chandler waited two years for McGregor’s return at UFC 303 last summer, only for it to be cancelled due to a broken toe injury for McGregor. The fighter is on the road to reviving his career as he recently lost his last two battles, and fans fear this might happen to Tom Aspinall. But the Brit revealed he won’t let that happen. Aspinall disclosed he is not happy with these comparisons, as he doesn’t plan on waiting that long for a unification bout with Jon Jones.
“I’ve seen a lot of people comparing me to Michael Chandler,” Aspinall told ESPN MMA. “[Chandler] waited a long time for Conor McGregor.
“I’m not waiting for one fight. I’m not trying to fight one guy,” the UFC heavyweight champ added. “I’m trying to fight all the guys, and I’m trying to be the guy at heavyweight who takes out everybody. It doesn’t matter who it is—Ciryl Gane, Volkov rematch, Almeida, Derrick Lewis, Brock Lesnar. Whoever it is, I don’t care.
“Let’s not talk about Jon Jones anymore,” he said. “I’m the active guy. I’m gonna fight somebody, and that’s gonna be announced pretty soon.”
Aspinall claimed the UFC interim heavyweight title with a quick knockout of Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich in 2023. He has since defended that interim title once, with an even faster KO of Curtis Blaydes.
