Both Tom Aspinall and his father are expressing considerable frustration over the extended wait for a fight against champion Jon Jones.
Tom Aspinall, the interim UFC heavyweight champion, has already defended his belt against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. Adding to the frustration, he observed Jon Jones` first title defense against Stipe Miocic, a competitor who hadn`t fought in nearly four years.
Aspinall`s father recently voiced his discontent in a video.
Speaking on his son`s YouTube channel, Aspinall Sr. remarked, “It`s absurd.” He added, “I truly don`t understand why the UFC seems hesitant for Tom to fight anyone but Jon Jones.”
He recounted the situation: “`Stay tuned` was the instruction given to Tom for public communication. We met with Hunter Campbell, and they indicated they would work to arrange the fight with Jon Jones. However, here we are in April, and Jones still hasn`t committed to fighting. This indecision is perplexing; as a fighter, he should be actively competing.”
He questioned, “Why is he remaining inactive, failing to provide a definitive answer about his fighting status?”
While Tom Aspinall approaches a full year without stepping into the octagon, UFC CEO Dana White publicly maintains confidence that the bout between Jones and Aspinall will happen, despite the growing skepticism within the MMA community.
With the potential Jones fight looming but uncertain, Aspinall`s father finds himself guiding his son through the challenging decisions regarding his career`s next step.
“What other options does he have?” the father pondered. “He could face lower-ranked opponents, but doing so risks losing the chance to fight Jon Jones – an immense opportunity given Jones`s status as champion and widely considered the greatest of all time. Defeating him would be monumental for Tom.”
“Is waiting around the only choice? He could fight someone ranked, say, No. 8 now, but why should the interim champion fight someone so far down the rankings? It strikes me as rather illogical.”
Naturally, competing for the undisputed heavyweight title against a legendary fighter would significantly impact Aspinall`s legacy and financial future. However, this prolonged waiting period represents a financial cost, particularly as he is in the prime of his fighting career.
“Frankly, it`s just a huge inconvenience,” the father stated. “It would be great for him to simply have a fight, given that`s what he is – a fighter. His last three bouts combined lasted barely three minutes. While that`s impressive, we certainly could benefit from more frequent fights.”
He concluded, “This is his profession, and he needs to earn from it, especially while he`s at peak fitness and health, instead of just being idle and constantly training without a fight scheduled.”
Marcus Blakely