Stipe Miocic Claps Back at Tom Aspinall in Light of Jon Jones Fight

In the ever-evolving landscape of UFC’s heavyweight division, a new chapter unfolds as former champion Stipe Miocic counters the push from interim titleholder Tom Aspinall for a title unification bout with Jon Jones.

Aspinall, the British interim champ, has been vocally advocating for a showdown against the undisputed champion, Jon Jones, suggesting that Miocic should step back to clear the path. In response, Miocic addressed Aspinall’s flurry of tweets last Friday, emphasizing his readiness to face Jones and dismissing any notion of causing a delay for their highly anticipated clash.

“I have never caused a delay in the Jon fight,” asserted Miocic, challenging Aspinall’s narrative.

Aspinall’s campaign for the Jones fight gained momentum as he pointed to Miocic’s absence from the octagon, humorously linking it to the release of Grand Theft Auto 2. Miocic was originally slated to face Jones in November at UFC 295. However, a torn pectoral muscle sidelined Jones, leading to an interim title match between Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich, which Aspinall won via a stunning first-round knockout.

Despite Aspinall’s victory and subsequent call for unification, UFC President Dana White has reassured that Miocic vs. Jones will be rescheduled once Jones is fit to return. This decision potentially sidelines Aspinall for a significant portion of 2024.

In a candid discussion on The MMA Hour, Aspinall expressed his eagerness to advance in his career, pushing for a match against either Miocic or Jones. “I think that Stipe and Jones is an absolutely amazing matchup,” he acknowledged. “But now, let me fight one of the legends and beat the legends.”

Miocic, whose last UFC fight dates back to March 2021 in a title loss to Francis Ngannou, had hinted that his bout with Jones might serve as a swan song. However, he remains non-committal about retiring. Looking ahead, Miocic floated the idea of facing Aspinall after a potential victory over Jones. “Tom, once I get this win, let’s talk to unify the belt,” he proposed, setting the stage for another intriguing twist in the heavyweight saga.

I have never caused a delay in the Jon fight.⁰⁰Tom, once I get this win, let’s talk to unify the belt.

— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) January 5, 2024

Last time Stipe fought and won, GTA: San Andreas had just come out on PS2. He will fight next for the undisputed heavyweight title, ahead of me, who’s the interim champ, active and ranked #1 in the world right now. This makes me quite upset

— Tom Aspinall (@AspinallMMA) January 4, 2024