UFC 321 turned out to be a nightmare scenario for both Tom Aspinall and the entire heavyweight division. The highly anticipated return of the Englishman after 14 months was cut short by a double eye poke from Ciryl Gane, leaving the fight in chaos and the 265-pound division stagnant once again. To make matters worse, former champion Jon Jones added fuel to the fire by mocking Aspinall on social media, changing his profile picture to a duck wearing an eye patch.
The jab was a not-so-subtle reference to fans’ claims that Jones retired without ever facing Aspinall for the title. Now, new footage has surfaced showing Jones seemingly predicting a similar outcome. In the clip, Jones comments on Aspinall’s tendency to back away in what he described as adverse situations, a remark that many believe perfectly mirrors what unfolded in Abu Dhabi.
Jon Jones Mocks Tom Aspinall’s First MMA Loss While Comparing It to His UFC 152 Bout
For the unversed, Tom Aspinall holds an MMA record of 15-3-0, with his first professional loss coming via submission. The Englishman faced Stuart Austin at BAMMA 21 in June 2015, where the heavyweight bout ended in the second round after Aspinall was forced to tap out to a heel hook.
This early setback became a key talking point for Jones, who weighed in on Aspinall’s alleged tendency to give up under pressure. In a previously unreleased clip from six months ago shared by Miami-based entrepreneur Geoffrey Woo, Jones discussed the topic during the interview.
In the footage, the former two-division champion talked about the Englishman’s tendency to quit and compared Aspinall’s first pro loss to his own experience against Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 back in 2012. He said, “There’s a video that hasn’t gone viral.”
Unreleased footage from 6 months ago shows Jon Jones discussing a past fight where Tom Aspinall appeared to give up 😳
“One of his losses, he was taken down and twisted his ankle. He had no defense and he tapped so quickly.
The moment he felt any pressure on his ankle, he… pic.twitter.com/iViOyPWuyC
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 27, 2025
Jones continued: “But one of his (Tom Aspinall’s) losses — he was very much an adult, I believe, already a [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu] black belt, and he was taken down and the guy twisted his ankle. He had no defense, he tapped so quickly.”
‘Bones’ then reflected on his own fight with Belfort, recalling how he was caught in a deep armbar that hyperextended his elbow. Despite suffering a strained ligament in his right arm, Jones refused to quit and ultimately beat the Brazilian in the fourth round with an Americana.
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He concluded, “I had a fight where I got armbar’d, and I was literally willing to let someone break my arm before giving up. Vitor Belfort. With Tom, the moment he felt any pressure on his ankle, he tapped immediately, which lets me know a lot about him.”
Jon Jones Takes Another Jab at Tom Aspinall With New Instagram Story Comparing Ciryl Gane Fight Times
This newly surfaced footage only adds to the criticism Aspinall has been facing from MMA veterans like Chael Sonnen, and even UFC CEO Dana White. Adding to the tension, Jones took to his Instagram Stories to share a graphic comparing his quick victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 to the length of the UFC 321 main event between Aspinall and Gane.
😬👀Jon Jones just reposted a graphic comparing his finishing time against Ciryl Gane to Tom Aspinall’s fight time. pic.twitter.com/bdS2yV8yIS
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) October 27, 2025
Jones famously captured the vacant heavyweight title by defeating Gane in just 2 minutes and 4 seconds, while the UFC 321 headliner lasted 4 minutes and 35 seconds before ending in a no-contest due to the unfortunate double eye poke.
The post was widely seen as another subtle dig from Jones, highlighting the stark difference in how both heavyweights fared against the same opponent.
