“Disappointed in Jon” – MMA Legend Gives Jon Jones a Hard Hitting Reminder on Ducking Tom Aspinall

At 37 years old, Jon Jones has found himself on top of the GOAT conversation, having won two titles with virtually no losses and a laundry list of top names he put away in the sport. It’s quite incredible to be alive at a time to witness a once-in-a-lifetime athlete like Jon Jones is arguably the most grueling sport in the world. Of course, that greatness also came with a great cost, because of Jones’ wild antics outside the Octagon. Truly, heavy is the head that wears the crown for an athlete as dominant as ‘Bones’. This is especially true concerning the expectations that lie ahead of him. Despite his accolades, fans have called his greatness into question for avoiding the fight with Tom Aspinall.

Many fans believe that Tom Aspinall will give Jon Jones a run for his money at this point, and that is exactly why ‘Bones’ is avoiding the fight with him. However, an old foe of the two-weight champion thinks otherwise. Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson still believes in Jon Jones’ dominance and thinks that Stipe Miocic was a tougher matchup for ‘Bones’ than Tom Aspinall. Furthermore, the former PRIDE and UFC fighter expressed his disappointment in Jones. For what reason? Let’s find out.

Quinton Jackson shows his disappointment in Jon Jones

During his interview with Ariel Helwani ‘Rampage’ spoke about how he had given ‘Bones his first big break as a senior. However,  the 37-fight winner was disappointed that Jones was not willing to pass the baton to Tom Aspinall since he believed Jones was the better fighter.

“I am disappointed in Jon Jones, don’t get me wrong – I respect Jon Jones. But when I fought Jon Jones, I don’t know if you guys remember – I remember people were saying who will you fight next I was like ‘Jon Jones’, they were like ‘Who is that?’. And his thing I heard in an interview was he did not want to give Aspinall a fight because Aspinall would make a name off of his back.” said Jackson to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Show.

“That’s what the UFC does – the older guy passes the younger guys the torch.” He gave his own example where ‘Rampage’ being the older, more established fighter, gave an opportunity to the young Jon Jones to face and beat him at UFC 135.  “I feel like Jon Jones’ last performance, I don’t even think any heavyweight on the planet could beat Jon Jones because he solidifies himself as one of the greatest fighters on the planet, and no disrespect to Aspinall. I think Aspinall is a great fighter, I’m a fan of his as well, but I figured Stipe would be a tougher challenge than Aspinall,”, added Quinton Jackson said to Ariel Helwani. 

While Quinton Jackson is an old opponent who Jones doesn’t have to worry about, a new head popped out of the borough with eyes on the heavyweight champion. Who is this fighter who has Jones on his radar? Let’s find out.

Jon Jones has a new fighter to worry about

The new fighter Jones has to be concerned about is none other than the #1 light heavyweight contender from Magomed Ankalaev. While the light heavyweight contender is chasing a title fight against Alex Pereira, he also supposedly has eyes on the heavyweight champion.

Ankalaev also had a unique way of describing his desired opponents. He stated, “The desserts are both very tasty,” referring to Pereira and Jones, suggesting they’d be easy fights. He also previously tried to provoke Jones with a post on X saying, “Sounds like someone is scared of big Tom.“, followed by “Jones doesn’t want to fight Aspinall, Pereira is recovering and I’m hungry. I will beat Pereira and after that, I can beat Jones.”

However, he now seems to have changed his stance and is focused on becoming a champion in his own division. “If I’m able to become a champion, I will be a champion. As I keep progressing, it’s all about rising and improving. If everything continues to go well, I will keep moving up and fighting at the top of the division.”, said Ankalaev while speaking to Ushatayka on YouTube.

Who will Jon Jones end up fighting? Will it be Tom Aspinall or Alex Pereira? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.