Tom Aspinall explained Jon Jones’ refusal to take the fight

“I want to be the best in the world and I don’t like the situation where I have the belt, but everyone is talking about the other guy I need to beat to be the best – I want to be that guy,” MMAnews quoted the Brit as saying. “I didn’t question Jon Jones’ record. I see the very situation where there are two champions who don’t fight each other as questionable.”

“I think a lot of people misrepresented what I said. I have a lot of respect for both, John and Stipe. I think John is smart, not scared. I think if I was in his shoes, I would try to do the same thing. If I could get more money for a fight against a 42-year-old guy who hasn’t fought in four years and is coming back from a loss, instead of going up against an active 30-year-old guy who takes everybody out, my choice would be obvious. I would definitely choose the more money and easier fight with someone who’s older.”

Earlier, Aspinall said that the organization’s management offered him a fight against Stipe Miocic on April 13 at UFC 300 in Las Vegas, but the American turned down the fight, saying that he was only interested in facing Jones.

Jon Jones, who holds the current UFC heavyweight title, was scheduled to make his defense against Stipe Miocic last November, but pulled out of the bout two weeks before UFC 295 with a torn pectoral muscle, while Tom Aspinall won the interim championship belt in a numbered event, knocking out Russian Sergey Pavlovic in 69 seconds.