Paddy Pimblett has reluctantly supported Jon Jones to beat Tom Aspinall, even though he wanted his fellow Brit the job.
Pimblett and Aspinall are good friends and recently fought together at the UFC 304 card in Manchester. However, the scouse hunter understands that it is always unwise to bet against Jones, who is unbeaten in all respects, except for a bizarre loss of disqualification in his early career.
Now a aging Jones is confronted with a stiff test in the rising Aspinall, which does not yet have to come from the second round in his UFC career. Pimblett, however, sticks to his decision to support the American after years of seeing him as a fan.
Paddy Pimblett supports Jon Jones to beat Tom Aspinall in heavyweight superfight
After initially told the full shipping podcast that he believes that Jon Jones will beat Tom Aspinall, Paddy Pimblett was again asked about the fight during a recent fan Q&A in Liverpool. He noted that while he is friends with his fellow Brit, you just can't bet against Jones, given his record.
“I love Aspinall, he is my partner and so,” Pimblett replied. “But I just can never choose against Jon Jones, we have never seen him beaten and I think if someone is going to defeat him, the Aspinall is, Aspinall can simply disable him with his hands – clean up.
“But I just would never choose against Jon Jones, I watched him since he became champion when I was a child. Since I started watching the UFC in 2009-2010, I watched him before he won the belt, even watched live when he was disqualified for the 12-6 elbows.
“That is how long I have looked at Jones and it's just the way he has plans. He thinks a way to beat someone and he works exactly on that exactly thing and how to defeat. But if someone is going to defeat him, it is Aspinall.”
Jon Jones plays hard to get Tom Aspinall prior to resentment fight
However, before Pimblett's prediction takes every credibility, the fight must be done. This seems to be the difficult part, where Jones apparently does something than register for Aspinall in a unification of the world title.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty images
The two-weight champion insists that he 'UFC told his plans', but they do not seem to have done their way to his interim champion. It is unclear whether the Brit has a fight in the meantime to just remain active, or whether Jones will eventually register and fight him.
A fan -petition that begs the UFC to strip Jones from his title has earned tens of thousands of signatures. In response, Jones simply mocked those who register and refused to give up his belt while he says he is not fully retired.