MMA enthusiasts frequently engage in debates akin to playground spats, contemplating who could triumph over who in the ring. Lately, the name that often dominates those discussions is Jon Jones. Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has repeatedly challenged Jones, leading some to believe that a face-off with Aspinall is necessary for Jones to secure his place in MMA history. However, seasoned UFC professional Matt Brown sees it differently.
Brown holds the viewpoint that Jones has surpassed all prognostications in his shining career and has nothing left to validate. The seasoned fighter assumes that the rampant speculations about Jones avoiding a battle with Aspinall will cease in no time. He bases this argument on the premise that today’s fast-paced news cycle leaves no room for prolonged conversations on subjects like these.
‘This speculation will vanish, irrespective of what steps Tom takes next. If Jon decides to hang up his gloves post a win against Stipe, remember, we exist in an era where news comes and goes in the blink of an eye. For a brief period, social media platforms like Reddit might be flooded with allegations of Jon being apprehensive about a face-off with Tom. However, by the following week, he’ll still be hailed as the greatest ever,’ maintained Matt Brown during a session on The Fighter vs. The Writer.
Brown’s insights bear some weight. Backing his conjecture, he trotted out Georges St-Pierre, who essentially disappeared after his win over Robert Whittaker to grab the middleweight title. That event, although significant in historic terms, is now barely remembered and is lost in the annals of fighting lore.
The conversation around Jones’s legacy, however, isn’t as clear-cut. Brown didn’t shy away from acknowledging darker aspects of Jones’s career, namely, the use of prohibitive substances. According to Brown, this is the only actual blemish tarnishing Jones’s otherwise impeccable record in an undisputed GOAT status debate.
The truth, as Brown proposes, is that Aspinall’s vocal callouts may well fall on deaf ears. Jones’s reputation is practically carved into the annals of MMA, irrespective of whether he faces the new breed of fighters or not. As the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, Jones himself has quite clearly expressed his lack of interest in competing against Aspinall.
Jones remains firm in his stance that his fighting record is sufficient evidence of his stature in the field. He adamantly dismisses the need to add Aspinall to his list of opponents. Taking a step back, it’s important to note that Jones hasn’t graced the cage since March 2023.
His last bout saw him bring down Ciryl Gane with a chokehold, thus securing his heavyweight title. A subsequent face-off with Stipe Miocic was scheduled for last November. However, due to an unfortunate injury, that match had to be postponed.
Jones didn’t hold back from targeting Aspinall recently. He wrote defiantly, ‘I have dedicated endless hours and effort towards this sport. For him [Aspinall] to even think of challenging my legacy, he would need to earn a minimum of a decade of championships. The record I hold is untouchable for the foreseeable future,’.
His subsequent remarks took on a more provocative tone. ‘I might wind you up for nothing, but rest assured, my outstanding body of work in this field will speak for itself. Lifelong supporters around the globe have witnessed my journey since their earliest memories. For him to even be considered at my level, he’d need several consistent championship victories,’ Jones continued.
The ‘Bones’ didn’t hesitate to subtly belittle Aspinall either. He insinuated that Tom Aspinall’s public challenges were inadvertently increasing his, Jon’s, relevance in the field. The fighter insisted he was single-mindedly targeting Miocic and had no intention of letting Aspinall sideswipe his focus.
According to Jones, upstaging Aspinall wasn’t essential to substantiating his legacy. His confidence in his position remains unshaken. He might have a point here, but in a sport like MMA where fans are drawn to thrilling confrontations, mere words won’t cut it.