Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has accused Jon Jones of delaying their title unification bout, despite the UFC’s efforts to finalize the fight.
Aspinall has been eager to face Jones since winning the interim title in late 2023. He last fought in July 2024, avenging his only UFC loss to Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. Meanwhile, Jones returned to action in November, knocking out Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.
Despite UFC president Dana White’s repeated assurances that the fight will happen this year, Aspinall remains in the dark about a date. In a recent YouTube vlog, he provided an update, insisting that Jones’ side is the main hurdle.
“I’ve spoken to the UFC on multiple occasions about this fight. I’m chasing it. I want the fight,” Aspinall said. “The UFC really, really wants the fight to happen. They’ve told me that. This is one of the biggest fights in MMA.”
Aspinall suggested that Jones may be hesitating due to financial considerations.
“The UFC assures me they are doing everything they can to make this fight happen. So as far as I’m aware, this is now totally down to Jon Jones and his team,” he said. “I’m literally just waiting for a date.”
While his priority remains unifying the division, Aspinall is open to defending his interim title again if the Jones fight continues to stall. He has named Ciryl Gane as a possible opponent but does not want the heavyweight division to be split between two champions.
“I don’t want us running two separate heavyweight divisions,” he stated. “I’m here to fight, and I want to unify the titles.”
With no confirmation yet, Aspinall remains in limbo, waiting for what could be one of the biggest fights in UFC heavyweight history.
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