Jon Jones maintains a positive outlook on his life and career, regardless of external criticism.
The reigning UFC heavyweight champion, a fighter widely regarded as one of the sport`s greats, recently took to Instagram Live to address detractors. His focus was on those accusing him of “ducking” interim champion Tom Aspinall by not pursuing a fight with him. Jones secured the vacant heavyweight title in March 2023 after lineal champion Francis Ngannou left the organization and has since defended it once, defeating a retiring Stipe Miocic last November.
Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall holds an impressive 8-1 record in the UFC heavyweight division and has successfully defended his interim title. His recent victory came against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, a win that also served to avenge his only professional loss within the octagon.
“I’ve got people in the chat calling me a ‘duck,’” Jones remarked during the live session. “Meanwhile, I’m living my absolute best life.”
He added, “I don’t know if it’s considered ducking when you’re living good. I don’t think it works like that.”
For his part, Tom Aspinall has been vocal about his strong desire to face Jones, acknowledging Jones`s legendary status. However, Aspinall has also made it clear that he is prepared to move on and face other opponents if the championship unification bout doesn`t materialize. Speaking recently on the High Performance Podcast, Aspinall indicated that his patience regarding the potential clash with Jones is wearing thin.
“When you put him in there with, and I’m not trying to blow my own trumpet, but I’m literally the most dangerous guy in the UFC if you look at the stats,” Aspinall stated. “When you put him in with a guy of my size who has those credentials at this stage in his career, I think Jon’s a smart guy and realizes that, so he wants to be compensated financially for it. …”
Aspinall concluded his thoughts on the situation by saying, “I’m well bored of [the Jones conversation]. I’ve had enough. We either need to fight, or I need to move on to something else.”
