One of Jon Jones' past transgressions affects his UFC GOAT case, according to Tom Aspinall.
Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones have been trading barbs in recent months ahead of their potential heavyweight clash. After Jones defended the lineal heavyweight championship at UFC 309, fans and pundits continued to clamor for the Aspinall fight to become a reality.
Jones is arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time after a legendary run in the UFC Octagon. Before making the full-time move to heavyweight, he enjoyed a largely flawless run at light heavyweight, defeating many UFC icons during his title reign.
Photos by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
UFC CEO Dana White and others believe Jones is undoubtedly the greatest UFC fighter of all time, along with the rightful pound-for-pound king. Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov and other legends are involved in the intense UFC GOAT debate.
Jones' vacant heavyweight title win last year, combined with his successful defense against Stipe Miocic, added distance for many fans in his UFC GOAT case. He is one of the few UFC fighters of all time to win championships in multiple weight classes.
Despite Jones' accolades, Aspinall doesn't believe he deserves the top spot on the UFC GOAT list.
Tom Aspinall: Jon Jones' PED use puts him below GOAT Georges St-Pierre
In a recent interview with the Kairouz Bros, Aspinall ranked Georges St-Pierre above Jones in the UFC GOAT hierarchy.
“SAP,” Aspinall said. “He never failed PEDs. [Jon Jones is] secondly, I think it would be foolish to say he wasn't one of the best ever.
Photos by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
St-Pierre's last UFC welterweight title challenger, Johny Hendricks, accused the titleholder of PED use ahead of their UFC 167 fight. At the time of writing, there is no direct evidence that St-Pierre has used banned substances during his career, and St-Pierre slammed Jones after testing positive for a banned substance just days before UFC 200.
Jones' planned rematch with Daniel Cormier at UFC 200 was called off after he tested for two banned substances during a pre-fight drug test. He served a one-year USADA suspension after the board determined that Jones did not intentionally ingest the banned substances.
St-Pierre retired from MMA after winning the UFC Middleweight Championship from Michael Bisping at UFC 217. Before winning the UFC 217 title, St-Pierre vacated the welterweight belt and took a four-year leave of absence from the competition.
The bad blood between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall is increasing heading into 2025
The UFC GOAT version of Aspinall adds to the budding rivalry with Jones ahead of their potential heavyweight grudge match. White and the UFC brass will meet with Jones and Aspinall in the coming months in hopes of securing a fight booking.
Jones originally teased his retirement prior to UFC 309, but reversed that stance after defeating Miocic. Despite Aspinall waiting in the wings for a shot at Jones, Alex Pereira was Jones' much-discussed next opponent target.
Some fans have mocked Jones' recent rejection of Aspinall, which he recently embraced in a hilarious social media move. Regardless of Jones' stance, Aspinall's next fight will be for the UFC heavyweight championship, rather than defending the interim title for a second time.
Aspinall respects Jones' greatness, but believes his past PED use rules him out of the UFC GOAT throne. If Jones stops him in the Octagon, Aspinall's UFC GOAT shot could be the target of ridicule.
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