Former UFC star Dan Hardy believes Jon Jones' continued dismissal of Tom Aspinall will have long-term consequences.
Jon Jones has repeatedly fired interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, including in the immediate aftermath of his UFC 309 win.
After finishing Stipe Miocic and having the chance to call out Aspinall in his post-fight interview, Jones declined to acknowledge Aspinall cageside, though he hinted the door is open if he and the UFC can come to an agreement . Jones previously teased his retirement, but reversed that stance after his UFC 309 win.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Jones, arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time, has been mercilessly mocked by Aspinall and his fans in recent weeks for 'dodging' the match. But Jones seemed to embrace this narrative in a post-UFC 309 update on social media.
Regardless, Jones continues to slight Aspinall in favor of a potential superfight with Alex Pereira. UFC CEO Dana White isn't interested in Jones vs. Pereira and is confident he can secure the fight between Jones and Aspinall next year.
A former UFC title challenger, and currently a top analyst, believes Jones' continued exclusions of Aspinall will come back to bite him.
Dan Hardy questions whether or not Jon Jones is the best heavyweight in the world after Tom disparages Aspinall
During a recent interview with Submission Radio, MMA analyst and former UFC fighter Dan Hardy analyzed how Jones pushed Aspinall aside.
“This is me as a fan, but I don't think it was good for his brand to say things like that about Tom,” Hardy said of Jones. “What I want for a champion in any division, especially the heavyweight champion, is I want to hear him say, 'Whoever anyone is, put him in front of me, and I will destroy him.' That's what we want the Heavyweight Champion to be, we want them to be this ultimate destroyer who is the scariest, most dominant person on the planet…
“As soon as you hear that person say, 'I don't want to fight this guy.' Who is he? Is it worth my time? I'm risking my legacy?', that was a telling statement, I think… it just didn't seem that good… maybe he's not the best heavyweight!'
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Some, including Jones' former rival Daniel Cormier, believe Aspinall is the legitimate heavyweight champion after UFC 309. Aspinall defended the interim heavyweight title during Jones' recent injury recovery and Miocic booking, finishing Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304.
The negotiations between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall will be a hot topic in the coming months
Following his successful heavyweight title defense, Jones will meet with UFC brass in hopes of agreeing a lucrative contract to return. Jones has not ruled out potentially giving up the heavyweight title in exchange for the promotion that sees him clash with Pereira.
Aspinall earned the interim UFC heavyweight title by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 last year. Jones was set to headline against Miocic before withdrawing due to injury, resulting in a last-second decision to make the interim title fight between Aspinall and Pavlovich books. .
At this point, the Jones vs. Aspinall fight remains a set pattern unless the UFC brass offers Jones a deal he can't refuse. But according to Hardy, Jones has already done some damage to his image after shunning Aspinall during UFC 309 fight week.
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