Tom Aspinall has accused Jon Jones of deceiving fans by prolonging negotiations for their heavyweight title unification fight. Aspinall, the interim champion, has been pursuing a fight with Jones for a year. UFC President Dana White has suggested the highly anticipated bout is imminent.
Aspinall states he has agreed to his terms, but Jones is reportedly seeking a record-breaking payout. In a recent episode of the Impaulsive podcast with Logan Paul, Aspinall asserted that Jones is manipulating the situation to mislead fans.
Aspinall Sharply Criticizes Jones
Aspinall has actively campaigned for a fight with Jon Jones, even traveling to New York and engaging in media appearances to promote the matchup. At UFC London, he playfully trolled Jones with a duck toy, implying Jones is evading the fight.
Aspinall points out that he has defended his interim title as many times as Jones has defended the undisputed belt and is no longer interested in defending an interim title. Speaking on the Impaulsive podcast, Aspinall stated, “Jon is conning the public.”
He continued, “I acknowledge Jones`s greatness as a fighter. However, his reluctance to fight Francis Ngannou for three years and now his hesitation to fight me for over a year, along with his media manipulation, is evident. While I understand and respect his position, if you ask me directly if Jon Jones is afraid to fight me, my honest answer is yes.”
Jones Demands Substantial Compensation for Aspinall Fight
Jones has been relatively quiet about fighting Aspinall, opting for cryptic social media posts and engaging in fan chants against his rival. However, after his victory at UFC 309, he indicated that a fight with Aspinall would require significant financial compensation.
“I simply don’t like him, and if I am to grant him a fight opportunity, I expect to be exceptionally compensated,” Jones stated to the media after defending his title against Stipe Miocic. “I want ‘life-changing money’, frankly. Otherwise, my life is complete without this fight. I don`t need it, but he needs me, which puts me in a strong negotiating position.”
Rupert Hartwell 
Benedict Kingsley