UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall recently unveiled the extensive efforts made by the promotion over the past year to arrange a highly anticipated bout with legendary fighter Jon Jones.
In an exclusive interview with TNT Sports, Aspinall provided a detailed account, explaining that UFC matchmakers frequently assured him that a clash with Jones was “definitely going to happen in the next three months.” Each time, he would diligently initiate a full training camp and begin preparations, only for the fight to be subsequently postponed without a clear new date. This frustrating scenario, he recounted, played out “three or four times” before Jones ultimately announced his retirement, making the potential super-fight an unfulfilled prospect. Aspinall clarified that his year-long period of anticipation was far from passive. He stated, “I wasn’t just sitting idly for a whole year waiting, I actually thought the fight would happen.” He addressed common inquiries about his apparent patience, explaining, “I wasn’t waiting, I was just assured that the fight would happen soon, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was tied hand and foot, waiting for a response from the UFC.”
