The UFC has been home to some intense rivalries but none more entertaining than the Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall one. The 37-year-old has been avoiding the interim heavyweight champion for quite some time now, much to the frustration of both the fighter and the fans. However, their rivalry has now taken a completely new turn. Earlier, ‘Bones’ made it clear that he wanted “f—k you money” to get inside the Octagon with the ‘Honey Badger’. But it seems he now needs time—a minimum of six months to prepare for the fight.

Ariel Helwani broke the news for the fans and said, “Because I was told that Jon wants six months to prepare [once] the fight is locked in. And what’s six months from now? September?”. However, there’s one factor that could speed things up—a bigger paycheck. If the right numbers are laid out on the table, Jones might finally be willing to put his undisputed title on the line. But is money really the case for Jones? Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier does think that’s the case, but feels Jon Jones doesn’t quite deserve a price he is looking forward to getting. Cormier took to his YouTube channel and sat for a discussion with Askren.

Jones initially pointed out that he wanted $30 million for his fight with Aspinall. But Askren feels, ‘Bones’ will need an extra 20% or 30% extra if he fights before six months. However, Cormier asked him a very important question and said, “Do you think that Jon Jones is worth paying $15 million? ” Askren was quick to respond, “I don’t have to know the exact metrics. I would probably say no and I would go back to my argument.” There is no doubt that Jon Jones is one of the biggest superstars in the sport.  But there’s only one fighter who gets huge numbers in the UFC and that’s Conor McGregor as pointed out by Cormier.

He further added, “Only Conor right? Only Conor would be worth paying 15″. As negotiations still go on, it seems Tom Aspinall will once again have to wait to get his dream fight. The interim champion has already made it clear that he is ‘bored’ waiting to get inside the Octagon. It seems former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is also losing his patience with the whole back and forth. He feels Tom Aspinall is the only fight left for Jones in the division.

Alexander Volkanovski has some harsh words for Jon Jones delaying his fight

Jon Jones for a long period of time has faced criticism for not agreeing to fight Aspinall. Now former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has also voiced his frustration surrounding the whole situation. Speaking on the ‘Believe You Me’ podcast with Michael Bisping, Volkanovski didn’t hold back in criticizing Jones. He pointed out that if ‘Bones’ truly wants to cement his status as heavyweight king, Aspinall is the only fight that makes sense. Otherwise, Volkanovski feels it’s hard not to wonder if Jones is deliberately steering clear of the British contender.

He said, “Like, it’s just the fact that the heavyweight champion and interim champion—it’s the only fight to make.” ‘The Great’ also feels that vacating the title without fighting Aspinall will do no good to Jones’s legacy. He further added, “If he vacates and just doesn’t want to fight, that doesn’t look good. It means you’re obviously ducking Tom. If you want to fight, but it’s not going to be Tom, it’s hard to look at it any other way.”

Tom Aspinall has been open about his desire to face Jon Jones for a long time now. He recently revealed that he’s set to meet with UFC officials this week to discuss his next fight. The British heavyweight also confirmed that negotiations for the bout are underway, with Jones’ team reportedly on board.

However, ‘Bones’ has made it clear that he wants at least six months to prepare. It means that the fight will now be pushed to September instead of the originally targeted UFC 317 in June. When do you think will the fight between these two happen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.