Tom Aspinall warned he won't get undisputed title fight if Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic falls through despite being named as backup fighter
09/21/2024 02:09 PM
UFC legend Daniel Cormier has warned Tom Aspinall that his official backup status may not mean much practically at UFC 309.
The Manchester native is the interim heavyweight champion, and has even defended his belt between Jon Jones winning the belt and his first defence against Stipe Miocic. The promotion have told him that he will be stepping in should anything happen to either of the main event stars in New York.
But Cormier seems to think that in the actual case of that happening, it’s very unlikely that either Jones or Miocic will accept a short-notice fight with Aspinall. Both men are in the latter stages of their careers and appear to be on the verge of retiring, and likely wouldn’t need to face a hungry knockout artist.
Tom Aspinall has been named official backup for UFC 309
At the same Madison Square Garden event last year, Tom Aspinall was forced to step up on short notice to save the day with an impromptu interim heavyweight title fight against Sergei Pavlovich. This came after Jon Jones was forced out of his fight with Stipe Miocic with an injury.
Back then, he was not given much time to prepare and had just a brief training camp for the fight. He had not planned to be in New York City, and after Stipe Miocic was also pulled from the event he was forced to face the fearsome Pavlovich.
This year, now that he is a reigning and defending champion, the Brit is being given a slightly more enticing opportunity. UFC boss Dana White has named him as the official backup should either Jones or Miocic be injured.
When White was asked about Aspinall serving as backup for the event, he replied: “Yes, Tom Aspinall is next in line for anything that happens after this fight."
Daniel Cormier warns Tom Aspinall to expect Ciryl Gane fight at UFC 309
Since winning his belt last year, Aspinall has launched an all out attack on Jones in pursuit of a title unification. He even tracked the champion down at an event they were both attending, but was turned down in his efforts for a face-off.
And Daniel Cormier, a two-weight world champion and long-time rival of Jones, believes that he will not get his fight even if there is a pullout in New York. Instead, the former fighter reckons Aspinall will be forced to face another top contender like Ciryl Gane at UFC 309.
"You're gullible," Cormier told co-host Chael Sonnen during the latest episode of their ESPN show Good Guy/Bad Guy after the former fighter claimed there was a deal in place that all three had agreed to in principle. "No, it does not mean that!
‘What it means is now we have another opportunity for disappointment… If one of those dudes gets hurt, neither one of them is fighting Tom Aspinall. You're out of your mind. No way.
“When Jon Jones got hurt the first time, Sergei Pavlovich was the backup fighter. Who fought? If somebody gets hurt, get ready for Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane. Mark my words."
Jon Jones insists he will retire after UFC 309 regardless of result
What compounds this issue for Aspinall is that it appears he may never get an opportunity at the undisputed gold. And while he is likely to be elevated to that status, he will always have an asterisk around his reign due to being unable to fight the champion Jones.
The champion was at UFC 306 in the Las Vegas Sphere last weekend, and told Clocked ‘N’ Loaded that he is likely hanging up his gloves after this next fight. Asked about if it will be his final bout, he replied: "It's going to be the last time. More than likely."
