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Tom Aspinall became the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion by defeating Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 295.
Jon Jones is the current UFC Heavyweight Champion, but Aspinall would like to see the UFC take the title away from Jones.
“I think Jon Jones should be stripped from the title to be honest, because everyone else does when they get injured like that,” Aspinall told Michael Bisping (transcript via Danny Segura of MMA Junkie). “I don’t see why he’s still got it. I don’t understand that. I think I should be the real champion right now.
“It’s hard to say without sounding rude, but who’s asked about Jon Jones and Stipe anymore? Why do we get this legacy fight, and they get to live by their own rules? What’s a legacy fight, a retirement fight for a title? I want to fight Stipe and then I want to fight Jon Jones. … I think all this other stuff is rubbish. Stop protecting him now. Stop protecting your boy Jon Jones at the top. If he’s injured, get out of the way and I’ll fight Stipe.”
Jones is currently on the shelf with an injury, but is expected to return to action by the second half of 2024.
The heavyweight champion is expected to fight former UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic upon returning from injury, but Aspinall doesn’t think the fans are interested in that fight anymore.
“That fight is completely dead in the water now,” Aspinall said. “You have a new champion at the weight, which is me. You got Stipe, who by the time Jon Jones comes back will have fought once in four years, and he’s 42 years old, and he’s got one fight where he got knocked out, and now he’s going to fight Jones, who’s coming off a big injury and again had one fight in three years. Again, who’s going to be bothered by that fight in a years time? Let’s move on. I’m the champion now. I’ll fight Stipe, he’s available. Me and Stipe will fight, and then when I beat Stipe, I’ll fight Jon Jones.”
