Declined! Tom Aspinall says Stipe Miocic turned down UFC 300 title tilt: ‘He doesn’t want to fight me’

Wouldn’t it actually be UFC 300 with no big-time Heavyweight combat? Apparently so.

UFC 100 and UFC 200 had one (subsequent massive) factor in widespread of their respective years of 2010 and 2016: Brock Lesnar. On the former, Lesnar headlined the historic occasion and efficiently defended his Heavyweight title in a rematch with Frank Mir by second spherical technical knockout. Over half a decade later the World Wrestling Leisure (WWE) star returned to motion for a one-off bout reverse Mark Hunt, which offered spectacle to an additionally historic UFC 200 occasion.

UFC 300 is, unsurprisingly, expected to miss out on Lesnar on April 13, 2024. Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped the promotion from attempting to get an enormous Heavyweight title combat on the mega-event, according to the current undisputed champion, Jon Jones, and now the interim titlist, Tom Aspinall.

“Consider it or not I respect @JonnyBones and every thing he has accomplished,” Aspinall tweeted. “So spectacular. I want him all the most effective in his restoration and return in opposition to @stipemiocic (Stipe Miocic).

“Whereas we’re speaking about @stipemiocic, my supervisor was contacted by the UFC asking if I’d wish to combat him on apr thirteenth,” he continued. “I, after all, accepted.

“A bit of later, we had been advised that @stipemiocic doesn’t wish to combat me, and solely curious about preventing @JonnyBones,” Aspinall concluded.

The Heavyweight title scene acquired loads messier than it ought to have forward of UFC 295 in November 2023. Jones’ torn pectoral muscle harm led the promotion to create an interim crown, which Aspinall captured through a 69-second knockout over Sergei Pavlovich because the occasion’s alternative (watch highlights).

As a substitute of additionally eradicating Miocic (quickly) from the UFC 295 equation with Jones’ harm, followers contemplated why he didn’t simply face one of many different high contenders. Effectively, UFC CEO, Dana White, thought that may have been a disrespect to the previous two-time champion and can now rebook Jones vs. Miocic as quickly as doable. Due to this fact, Aspinall is left to defend the interim strap in opposition to whomever is smart.

“On that word. I’ll cease crying, settle for it ain’t gonna occur, and benefit from the combat that me and all the opposite followers wish to see,” Aspinall stated. “Legend vs. legend for the Heavyweight title. Most respect guys. Yay.”