Former UFC title challenger Dominick Reyes believes Jon Jones’ avoidance of a title unification combat with Tom Aspinall is all about “threat administration.”
Bones’ returned from a three-year-long layoff final March, strolling right into a heavyweight title combat with top-ranked contender Ciryl Gane. Jones made fast work of ‘Bon Gamin’ and was slated to defend the strap in opposition to consensus GOAT Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November. Sadly, Jones suffered a torn pectoral weeks earlier than their scheduled scrap.
As an alternative, followers have been handled to an interim heavyweight title combat pitting Tom Aspinall in opposition to Sergei Pavlovich. Aspinall got here out on prime, scoring a 69-second KO in opposition to the Russian knockout artist.
Usually, an interim titleholder strikes on to combat the undisputed champ upon their return. Nonetheless, it didn’t take lengthy for Aspinall to appreciate that a fight with Jones wasn’t in his future. With the UFC decided to rebook Jones vs. Miocic for a while in 2024, it’s turning into increasingly obvious that Aspinall won’t ever get his dream match in opposition to ‘Bones.’
Aspinall Battle is ‘Too Harmful’ For Jon Jones
Talking with James Lynch in a MiddleEasy exclusive interview, Reyes, a former foe of Jon Jones contained in the Octagon, understands why ‘Bones’ is avoiding a combat with Aspinall, likening it to when the two-division champ refused to signal on the dotted line for their very own rematch following UFC 247.
“I fully perceive the place Jon [Jones] is coming from,” Reyes stated. “Jon is Jon Jones, say his title anyplace on this planet, and folks acknowledge it. Combating Tom [Aspinall] is a threat administration factor. It’s nearly the identical motive why he didn’t rematch me sort of factor. It’s too harmful and never sufficient payoff. Tom is a superb fighter” (h/t MMA News).
Within the eyes of many, Dominick Reyes ought to have walked away with the sunshine heavyweight title after his five-round warfare with Jones in 2020.
Seeing a whole lot of himself in Aspinall, ‘The Devastator’ believes their potential assembly is a “tremendous harmful” one that gives minimal upside for ‘Bones’ relating to each cash and legacy.
“Tom is similar to myself, however he’s a heavyweight,” Reyes added. “That’s tremendous harmful. He strikes extraordinarily effectively, he’s very fast, his wrestling is absolutely good, his grappling is sweet, his energy is off the charts. How is that gonna profit Jon? Beating the latest champion? Nah, let’s combat the best heavyweight of all time, Stipe Miocic…Jon is a good himself, so he’s going to combat one other energetic nice.”
