Retirement is on the desk for Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic after their UFC heavyweight championship struggle at UFC 309. One title may spur Jones to struggle on, but it surely’s not interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, it is Alex Pereira.
Jones and Miocic headline New York Metropolis’s Madison Sq. Backyard on Saturday. It is a assembly between probably the most dominant gentle heavyweight and heavyweight champions, albeit a number of years later than followers would have preferred. Aspinall’s presence is a major subplot of UFC 309.
Final November, Aspinall defeated Sergei Pavlovich to win the interim UFC heavyweight title after Jones pulled out of his scheduled struggle with Miocic. As a substitute of being rewarded with a usually anticipated title unifier, Aspinall defended his interim title in opposition to Curtis Blaydes as UFC solid forward with Jones vs. Miocic. The scenario has put Aspinall in limbo. Neither UFC 309 headliner has expressed a lot curiosity in preventing Aspinall, a stance Jones maintains 9 days from UFC 309.
“Greater than probably not,” Jones informed fight sports activities journalist Kevin Iole a few potential Aspinall struggle. “I really feel like Tom Aspinall is — I do not need to say a no person — however he hasn’t confirmed something or achieved something.”
Jones diminished Aspinall’s interim title win in opposition to Pavlovich, arguing that Pavlovich was subsequently “slaughtered by another person.” Jones was referring to Pavlovich’s unanimous resolution loss to Alexander Volkov in June. Jones, who captured the vacant heavyweight title in opposition to Ciryl Gane in March 2023 after a historic gentle heavyweight title reign, just isn’t focused on having his legacy leveraged.
“I am not right here to gamble with another person making a reputation off of me,” Jones mentioned. “I am right here to compete in opposition to the fellows who once we look again 10 years from now, you may say, ‘Jon Jones fought this man and that man and this legend and this champion.'”
Jones argued the one compelling struggle for him after UFC 309 could be in opposition to UFC gentle heavyweight champ Alex Pereira. Jones proposed a heavyweight tremendous struggle between the 2 champions.
“If there have been to be a struggle for me with somebody on the UFC roster who could be financially price it and legacy price it, it will be Alex Pereira,” Jones mentioned. “We’re each 37 years previous. Proper now I weigh about 235 kilos. I am an unimaginable gentle heavyweight. I believe Pereira walks round at 240 kilos.聽
“I believe that struggle would do rather more for my legacy than a younger man who’s cool in the present day and possibly gone tomorrow. I keep in mind when the entire world thought Johnny Walker was the man to beat me. No disrespect to Johnny Walker however we have all seen how his profession performed out. I have been right here too lengthy to get all enthusiastic about somebody who’s scorching in the present day. I am right here for legacy. I have been playing manner too lengthy to take random fights.”
