Dana White Determined to Make Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall Undisputed Title Fight a RealityUFC CEO says Jones has agreed to fight Aspinall: “It’s Aspinall’s fight.”
SME News Europe. UFC CEO Dana White has reaffirmed his commitment to organizing the long-awaited undisputed heavyweight title clash between reigning champion Jon Jones and interim titleholder Tom Aspinall.Despite growing speculation around Jones’ future in the sport—and Aspinall’s own public doubts about whether the fight would ever materialize—White made it clear during the UFC 316 post-fight press conference that the UFC will do everything possible to make the bout happen.“Tom Aspinall is the guy,” said White. “If the guy \[Jones] wants to retire and doesn’t want to fight, there’s nothing you can do. I didn’t want Khabib \[Nurmagomedov] to retire, I thought \[Daniel Cormier] should’ve stayed in it longer—so it’s none of my business. But I’ll do what I can to make the fight, if we can.”Aspinall, 32, has held the interim heavyweight title for 18 months, and while he has expressed eagerness to unify the belts, he has also hinted that Jones may already have one foot out of the octagon.White, however, pushed back on that notion, revealing that Jon Jones had not only been offered a fight with Aspinall—but had accepted it.“It’s Aspinall’s fight,” White stated. “Jon agreed to fight Tom. Jon Jones was offered the deal and accepted the deal.”In recent weeks, there has been renewed talk about a possible superfight between Jones and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. But White clarified that Aspinall remains the priority.“Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is the fight to make. That’s the one fans want, and that’s the one we’re working toward,” said White.If finalized, the bout would mark one of the most significant heavyweight showdowns in UFC history, pitting the legendary Jones against one of the division’s fastest-rising stars.
