Former UFC fighter and commentator Daniel Cormier does not believe Tom Aspinall will be able to serve as a backup fighter.
Interim heavyweight fighter Tom Aspinall has made known his intentions about being the backup fighter for the Jones vs Miocic fight. However, fans are sceptical that the fighter will get to test his mettle. UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed Aspinall as the backup fighter, but many times, backup fighters don’t get a chance to participate in the fight.
“You’re gullible,” Cormier told co-host Chael Sonnen on their Good Guy/Bad Guy show when Sonnen said both Jones and Miocic agreed to fight Aspinall at UFC 309. “No, it does not mean that! What it means is now we have another opportunity for disappointment…
“If one of those dudes gets hurt, neither one of them is fighting Tom Aspinall. You’re out of your mind. No way. When Jon Jones got hurt the first time, Sergei Pavlovich was the backup fighter. Who fought?! If somebody gets hurt, get ready for Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane. Mark my words.”
“I don’t get the backup fighter,” Cormier said. “Remember when Charles Oliveira was going to fight against Islam Makhachev and Mateusz Gamrot was the backup fighter, and then they brought Alexander Volkanovski in there? I get that you want to look at this thing with clear eyes, but I’m giving you two prime examples.
“It’s not even about being scared. It’s about risk management. If someone gets hurt in this fight, the reward vs. the risk of fighting Tom Aspinall is so great. I don’t believe that either of them will do it. Love that it’s a part of the story now. We all love the story. We love a great story. But I don’t know that it plays.”
Cormier’s reason for having this belief is due to both fighter’s [ Jones and Miocic] statements about retiring after this fight.
“I don’t think he’s scared, but again, it’s risk vs. reward…” Cormier said. “A win over Tom Aspinall does nothing more for Jon Jones than a win over me or Vitor Belfort or Rashad Evans or Shogun Rua or Alexander Gustafsson. All this list of great fighters he’s already beaten. So many great fighters. Beating Tom Aspinall doesn’t really do much to add to that. But losing to Tom Aspinall does do something because now you see him lose. He’s never lost… So, for him to go out there and fight a young, hungry guy who seems to possess the skills to beat him, it’s not worth the risk.
“I’m telling you this as a guy that for a long time was one the wrong side of the Jon Jones equation, didn’t like Jon Jones, didn’t care for him. I don’t think that you risk [what he would be risking]… His legacy to him, I feel, might mean more than taking that risk, especially when you don’t need to.”
The chances of Aspinall facing any of these fighters are slim because the fighters and the promotion are intent on protecting the legacy.
“Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is more likely to happen if Stipe Miocic wins,” Cormier said. “That’s my take… If Stipe wins and Jones loses and feels like he has something to prove, it’s more likely that he fights Tom Aspinall. If he wins, he’ll go off into the sunset.”
Nevertheless, Cormier doesn’t believe this will affect Aspinall’s career. He still has more battles ahead and will probably get a crack at whoever becomes the winner after the Jones vs. Miocic bout.
