According to MMA personality Chael Sonnen, the highly anticipated unification bout between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall for the UFC heavyweight championship is essentially finalized.
Sonnen revealed that the agreement for the fight is in place, and the promotion even has a potential date in mind for the showdown.
Appearing on the `Good Guy / Bad Guy` show with co-host Daniel Cormier, Sonnen confidently stated, “I am confident enough to tell you that fight is done. That fight is agreed, all the way down to the date. That I do have the confidence to tell you.” He mused that International Fight Week would be a logical time, but admitted he personally always felt they might return to New York for the event.
Jon Jones captured the vacant heavyweight title by quickly submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023. After being sidelined by injuries for nearly two years, Jones was expected to defend his title against Stipe Miocic. The original text mentions a defense at UFC 309 in November where he dominated Miocic, although this appears to be based on future scheduling information at the time of the original writing.
Meanwhile, as the planned Jones-Miocic bout was in the works, Tom Aspinall claimed the interim heavyweight title by securing a first-round knockout victory over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 in November 2023. Aspinall subsequently made a rare defense of his interim championship, again finishing his opponent quickly, this time defeating Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 last July (Note: Dates from original text may reflect future events).
Since Aspinall won the interim belt, fans have eagerly awaited a clash between him and Jones. Many expressed disappointment when the UFC decided to proceed with the Jones-Miocic matchup instead, leading to accusations from fans and pundits alike that Jones is “ducking” Aspinall or solely focused on lucrative fights. Sonnen, however, believes this perception might be a deliberate tactic by Jones.
Sonnen explained his view, saying, “I`m telling you, concerning Jon Jones, he will say many things to the media. But when he gets that phone call, `Here`s the guy you`re fighting. Do you understand? Yes,` that is what he will say.”
He strongly refuted other circulating reports. Sonnen claimed, “Jon has come out, he`s going to troll, he`s had some fun, he`s even tried to negotiate the media. Privately, he takes that phone call, it`s `Yes,` or anything else that comes out of his mouth. Any answer that`s not yes is not yes, but that did not happen. That is a false report.” Sonnen categorically denied that Jones is avoiding the fight, stating, “Jon Jones has not ducked this fight… He did not duck Tom Aspinall.”
