Unpopular Opinion: Jon Jones Doesn’t Need To Fight Tom Aspinall
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The disrespect for Jon Jones has been at an all-time high lately. That has all been because of the Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion, Tom Aspinall. Ever since he emerged as the top contender, speculation has run amok in regards to a fight between the two.
Jon Jones has made it clear that when it comes to his legacy, a fight with Tom Aspinall doesn’t entice him at this stage of his career. UFC fans, particularly newer ones, have not taken to this lightly. You can see them accusing Jones of “ducking” Aspinall. Based on the accusations, you would think Jones has not been fighting top contenders since 2008. But, he has. We’re talking about a guy who took down legend after legend. But he’s scared to fight Tom Aspinall?
Jon Jones has literally made a reputation off of fighting the scariest men his entire career. In a sport where recency bias looms largely, this is some next-level stuff.
But… The Unification
It’s clear that the interim championship and the undisputed championship needs to get unified immediately. And in most cases, that is the only choice. But in the case of someone as uniquely great as Jones, exceptions can be made. He’s fought the top contenders for years… So why not let him have some say in what could be his last fight? Heck, we see McGregor calling his own shots, and he’s hasn’t come close to the career of Jones.
Special people get special treatment sometimes. Like it or not, that’s just how it goes when you’re part of that 1% of great. It’s just strange that fans would turn on Jon because of a matchup they want… If he wants to fight Pereira in his last fight, has he earned that right.
But… The Legacy
As much as it may seem like Jon hates Tom, he respects his abilities tremendously. But why risk your legacy on yet another contender, albeit a legit one, when you can have the easier and more lucrative matchup in your last fight? 10-20 years from now, nobody is going to remember that Jon Jones never fought Tom Aspinall. But everybody would remember if Tom Aspinall were to spoil his perfect career in that last fight. You have to believe that Jon is weighing the risk vs. reward factor in this one. That is exactly why he wants to be highly compensated if he is to actually step in there with Tom.
With all that being said, Dana White has stated on numerous occasions that his job is to give the fans what they want. Well, in the UFC, ask and you shall receive, as it appears that Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall could be in the works for 2025. Dana wants it. Tom wants it. But does Jon want it? After what was speculated to be his retirement bout with Stipe Miocic, Jones surprised many when he hinted at potentially having one more fight if the money is right. And guess what? Even if he says no to Aspinall and retires, it changes nothing. If a guy like Jon Jones has not earned the right to leave on his own terms, then no one will ever.
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