Michael Bisping thinks there should be consequences for Jon Jones refusing to fight Tom Aspinall with a win at UFC 309.
Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) defends his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 309 headliner at Madison Square Garden in New York (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Hulu/FX, ESPN+).
If he beats Miocic, Jones made it clear that he’s not interested in a title unification bout with interim champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC). Instead, he sees a title defense against light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) doing more for his legacy.
“The reality is Jon Jones is now the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, and when he fights Stipe Miocic, if he is victorious, then he has to face Tom Aspinall next,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “This is just the way the world works, OK?”
Aspinall has already had to defend his interim title once, where he avenged his loss to Curtis Blaydes by scoring a first-round TKO at UFC 304 in July. Bisping thinks Jones has to fight Aspinall next or it will tarnish his legacy.
“If he doesn’t, this is in the words of Khabib Nurmagomedov: ‘No. 1 bullsh*t,'” Bisping said. “If he refuses to fight Tom Aspinall next, then we’ve got to start having a serious conversation as to whether or not this man should be stripped.
“Jon is the undisputed champion of the world. Tom is the interim champion. This is how it works: They face one another. He’s calling out Alex Pereira for a legacy fight. … I’m not saying this as a Jon Jones hater, but if this was boxing, Jon Jones will be stripped. That’s a fact.”
Bisping would love to see Jones fight Pereira – but not until he faces Aspinall first.
“Alex Pereira is incredible. I’m a huge fan,” Bisping said. “Take my money right now. I would love to see them fight. But that’s only if Jon Jones can get through Tom Aspinall. Simple as that. There is no discussions for any other fight to happen.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.
