Defending Against Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall: "The Type Hasn't Been Fighting For Three Years And I'm More Appropriate"
UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall wants to fight Jon Jones in the next fight. He also stated that Stipe Miocic had not fought for three years and was losing. Tom Aspinall believes he should be against Jon Jones next, not Stipe Miocic.
Aspinall has just won knockout victory over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 for an interim heavyweight title. Usually, the winner will face the real champion, but Jon Jones is injured and is expected to fight Stipe Miocic when he recovers. UFC president Dana White called the Jones versus Miocic fight a 'heritage fight.'
"To be honest, I'm not a fan of sitting and waiting," Aspinall told TMZ Sports. "I don't like feeling entitled to it, even though I'm a champion. I don't want to be someone who thinks he's better than everyone or something like that. I want to fight Jon Jones, and in my opinion, this is not disrespectful to Stipe at all, but after a show like Saturday night, who really cares about Stipe who is 42 years old, who hasn't fought in the last three or four years, to come back and fight Jon Jones?"
"I just "arrested" the most terrifying man at the UFC in a minute. I know it's about big awards. Stipe is like the greatest man of all time and Jon Jones is the greatest MMA fighter. I understand completely, but it's also about relevance. It's also about excitement. It's also about what makes people sit, what people are going to buy at pay-per-view shows. I'm more interesting than anyone now. I deserve a chance. I am a champion," said Aspinal about the reason.
VOIR éGALEMENT:
Jones challenged Miocic after his win over Cyril Gane at UFC 285. He wanted the opportunity to beat the greatest heavyweight fighter in UFC history.
"I think at this point everyone knows that I am an honest person. I am not the one who will play the trumpet on me or something like that, but I am absolutely honest. I think, as I said, Stipe will be 43 years old by the time Jon Jones returns and he is going through the defeat he suffered, it means almost four years ago when Jon Jones came back. Who wants to see that compared to me beating everyone in a round?"
"I think if you put me there with anyone with how dangerous it is and it explodes, and not just my physical attributes, but my mental attributes that distinguish me from other fighters. I can make very good decisions under great pressure, and not everyone can do it. I take advantage of every fight I take part in," said Aspinal.
"If I was there, no matter what circumstances, I just proved it on Saturday, under whatever circumstances I was facing, I could have won. I've done it against everyone, why can't I do it against Jon Jones? Of course I can beat him (Jon). If I hit someone clean, I can kick them. I'm 100 percent sure," challenged Aspinal.