UFC analyst worries Jon Jones is ‘pulling us along’ and ‘may not ever take’ Jon Jones fight

Din Thomas, a renowned MMA coach and UFC analyst, is starting to doubt Jones has any intention of fighting Tom Aspinall.

Jones is considered by many to be the best fighter in MMA history. That’s due primarily to his work in the light heavyweight division, where he defeated a host of world-class challengers over the course of several title reigns. However, in 2023, after a long layoff, Jones moved up to heavyweight, and claimed the vacant belt with a submission of Ciryl Gane. Unfortunately, he has only defended his belt once, battering an aging Stipe Miocic to a stoppage last November. His prolonged inactivity at heavyweight forced the UFC to crown an interim champ in Aspinall, who won his belt with a knockout of Sergei Pavlovich in 2023. Aspinall has already defended his belt once, knocking out Curtis Blaydes last year. However, he has been calling for a fight with Jones since winning the belt.

Thomas has seen enough to wonder if Jones ever had any intention of taking the fight.

“Tom’s going to have to defend [the interim belt],” Thomas told MMA Junkie, speaking of Aspinall’s goal of fighting again this summer. “There’s no way Jon Jones accepts that fight [this summer]. He says he needs more time to prepare. It’s not like he didn’t know about this for the last two years. … The more and more time that passes, the more and more I think Jon is just pulling us along and may not ever take this fight.”

Who will Tom Aspinall fight next if not Jon Jones?

Thomas also shared his belief that, with Jones unavailable, Aspinall will end up fighting somebody else at UFC 317, the promotion’s annual International Fight Week card, in July.

“I’m thinking you have to go Tom Aspinall [for UFC 317],” Thomas said. “How do you not go with the heavyweight champion of the world? He wants to fight this summer. I’m thinking you have to go Tom Aspinall somewhere. Now whether that’s Jon Jones, Ciryl Gane, Derrick Lewis – I don’t know, but it’s got to be Tom Aspinall for International Fight Week.

“If I had to put my money on it, I think they convince Tom Aspinall to fight Ciryl Gane,” Thomas added. “We’re two months out [from UFC 317], and I think they’ll throw a number. Tom wants to fight and he’ll be like, ‘All right, I’ll fight.’ Then they’ll throw a number at Ciryl Gane. It won’t be ideal for him, but they’ll throw a number he can’t refuse and he’ll have to take it, and I think it makes more sense that way.”

Do you think we’ll ever see Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall fight?