A week ago Saturday, Madison Square Garden played host to one of MMA‘s most-anticipated fights of 2024, if not the most-anticipated fight of the year. During the UFC 309 main event of the evening, the UFC Heavyweight Championship was at stake between current champion Jon Jones (28-1, 1 NC MMA, 22-1, 1 NC UFC) and former No. 8 contender, the now-retired Stipe Miocic (20-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC.)
With a full crowd in tow at The World’s Most Famous Arena, Jones made good on his bid to defend the 265-lb. strap with a third-round knockout of the Northeast Ohioan by way of a spinning back kick along with punches. In so doing, the one nicknamed “Bones” made his 12th defense of a UFC title, giving him the promotional record in said category.
In the aftermath of UFC 309 on the evening of Nov. 16, fans of the sport all over the country and the world as a whole have been clamoring for one matchup in the near future:
Fans Win When and If Unification Contest Between Jones and Aspinall Happens
Earlier this week, MMA Sucka’s Frazer Krohn mentioned that a unification battle for the UFC Heavyweight Championship between champion Jon Jones and UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is the most appealing fight for both competitors in the wake of UFC 309.
The promotional material in the run-up to this unification affair practically writes itself here. Think about it: Permanent champion meets interim champion in a winner-take-all contest. Does anything else need to be said?
Your answer is an obvious no. UFC CEO Dana White could, in the next couple of months, make an appearance on SportsCenter and reveal that both contestants have signed their respective contracts for a later date on pay-per-view. The fans would eat it up like a chicken dinner.
It’s Up to Jones and Jones Alone
However, the one and only roadblock between the unification fight happening at some point in 2025 is the most important component to this pairing: Jon Jones himself. In recent times, the champion at 265 lbs. has taken lengthy hiatuses between bouts and has expressed interest in making the fight versus Tom Aspinall happen only if and when he is compensated fairly.
The permanent champion at 265 has said that he’s more enthusiastic about a possible fight against current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) for his next contest.
“I don’t want to fight dangerous up-and-comers anymore,” Jones mentioned. “I want to fight dangerous, established champions. Tom can have the heavyweight championship, I don’t really care about it. I want Pereira.”
Sizing Up the Fighters: Looking at Jon Jones
If this championship unification fight does, indeed happen in the future, interim champion Tom Aspinall stands as the taller fighter at 6-foot-5, while permanent champion Jon Jones stands 6-foot-4. Jones would own a 6 1/2-inch reach advantage (84 1/2 inches to 78 inches even) over Aspinall, along with a one-inch leg reach advantage (45 inches to 44 inches.)
Jon Jones has gone 5-0 in his last five fights as part of a lengthy 19-fight winning streak dating back to March of 2010, including a first-round submission win by way of guillotine choke over Ciryl Gane (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) to take the then-vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Numerically speaking, “Bones” has won 16 fights inside the distance, including his first five professional fights in a row from April to July of 2008. He’s been known to hunt for the finish aggressively, so will he be able to get one against Aspinall should the fight come to pass at some point down the road?
Examining Tom Aspinall
In the other corner, Tom Aspinall has posted a 4-1 mark in his last five fights and has won three contests in a row. More impressive is this: Each of Aspinall’s wins in his current streak has been recorded inside the distance.
Back in July of this year, he bested Curtis Blaydes (18-5, 1 NC MMA, 13-5, 1 NC UFC) during UFC 304 in London via first-round knockout. Wins by stoppage are a habit for the interim heavyweight championship.
So far in his MMA career, Tom Aspinall has finished all 15 of his wins before the final horn has sounded. Much like Jon Jones, Aspinall has one goal on his mind when the time comes to walk inside the cage on fight night: Settle the score before the judges can tally up their scores.
Final Thoughts
If Jon Jones signs the contract to fight Tom Aspinall, it could be one of the most amazing, most explosive fights that the UFC has ever seen. Should Jones decline to fight Aspinall for a unified championship, Dana White only has one other option: Make Tom Aspinall the permanent champion at 265 lbs.
