Jon Jones may be considered the best mixed martial artists to ever step foot in the Octagon, especially when it comes to his legendary light heavyweight stint, in which 'Bones' basically went undefeated for over a decade.
Although he debuted at heavyweight with an impressive submission win over Ciryl Gane in 2023, that does not mean the 37-year-old has not yet been able to convince everyone of his potential in the new weight class.
One of those unconvinced individuals is none other than Alexander Volkanovski. The current UFC featherweight champion would like to see Jones take on the division's actual interim champ in Tom Aspinall before calling himself a true double champion in the promotion.
Alex Volkanovski unconvinced of Jon Jones' double champ status ahead of UFC 309
With Jon Jones just days away from his title fight against former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, Alex Volkanovski questions why should this bout be the one to crown Jones as a legit title-holder, as opposed to a match the actual interim champ. In an interview with
MMA Fighting, the Australian emphasized how Aspinall poses a bigger threat to Jones' title in 2024 than a Miocic who is past the prime of his career.
“I’m sure Jon Jones is sick of hearing this, but the Tom Aspinall fight is the fight everyone wants to see,” Volkanovski said. “You want to be a heavyweight champion, you want to claim that crown—that might sound wrong, because you did claim it. It was a vacant belt and you fought [Ciryl] Gane for it and you got it, but it’s going to be hard to convince me you’re defending champ if you don’t fight Tom Aspinall while he’s the interim champ and the biggest threat.
“Does Jon Jones even need to do this? No, he’s already got an incredible legacy. But if you want to claim the heavyweight division, so you were a proper double champ... you’ve got to fight Tom Aspinall. If you really want that on your résumé saying that I’m the best heavyweight while I was here, you have to fight Tom Aspinall. I think he is definitely the biggest threat. The wrestling, everywhere, he can be dangerous everywhere, and he’s a legit heavyweight. Explosive, fast. That’s the fight that I hope to see.”
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Is a win over Tom Aspinall more meaningful for Jon Jones' legacy?
Tom Aspinall is the interim UFC champion, while Stipe Miocic is considered long past his prime.
Although Miocic is also considered the best heavyweight champion the UFC has ever had by many fans, Alexander Volkanovski simply believes he does not present the same challenge to his opponents as he once did.
Miocic holds the record for most title defenses in the division, with four. That said, it is also true that he has not won a fight since 2020 and has not stepped into the Octagon since a KO loss to Francis Ngannou in 2021. Add those factors to the fact that Miocic is now 42 years old, and it might seem easier to understand why some people are not in favor of this pairing against Jon Jones.
To Volkanovski's mind, Jon Jones will have an easy time defending this belt at UFC 309, in a win that will not quite prove whether or not Bones can really call himself the heavyweight champion. Meanwhile, a victory against a prime Aspinall, who rides a three-fight win streak - all KO's - would be much more convincing in the eyes of those who still have doubts about Jones' situation in the heavyweight division.
“What he gets out of beating [Aspinall] would be, I think for most of us, the guys that are in the know, that would be huge,” Volkanovski said. “But when you’re talking money and things like that and star power, I win over Pereira right now would be massive. That’s probably one of the biggest fights you could do right now, so I can see why he’s pointed there, but get rid of the heavyweight belt then. The interim champ’s there, you need to fight him and that’s just how it is.”
Catch Jones vs. Miocic at UFC 309
Jon Jones is set to face Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, on November 16, for the UFC heavyweight title.
The event is scheduled to take place at the Madison Square Garden, in New York City. In the co-main event, former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler are set to rematch. The first pairing saw the Brazilian come out on top via TKO when they met back in 2021.
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