He came, he saw, he demolished – was Jon Jones’ story at the end of UFC 309. Despite his emphatic win over Stipe Miocic, and the title intact around his waist, ‘Bones’ still lost out on the one thing he so badly wants, i.e., the validation of all fight fans. Dana White touting him as ‘the greatest fighter ever’ doesn’t mean much – White showering praises on dominant fighters is nothing new. Now, had Jones done the same to Tom Aspinall at the November PPV event, fans would have shut up, and probably even worshipped the heavyweight champion. With Jones further refusing to face the English interim champ, he continues to draw the ire of many within the fight community. One name that straight-up thrashed the UFC 309 main event was former UFC fighter Jason Miller.

‘Mayhem’ is known for his larger-than-life personality, and is also looked at, as a bit unhinged. So it wasn’t surprising when he went above and beyond to give his unfiltered thoughts about the Jones vs. Stipe matchup last month. Speaking to MMA journalist Helen Yee, the UFC veteran said, “I thought it was garbage, straight trash. I hope Stipe got paid a lot for that fight. It’s pissed me off right now.” Miller then went on to state what most fight fans have on their minds, with, “I’m the voice of the internet right now when saying that he needs to fight Tom Aspinall. Jon Jones needs to fight him. Look, why not? That needs to happen that’s what we all want you know”.

The TUF 14 coach further echoed Jon Jones’ sentiments about Dana White doing his part and compensating him well monetarily, so we can end the argument once and for all. “Dana has enough money to pay the guy. So pay those guys what they’re worth, and you know, [let’s] have the fight that we want.” ‘Mayhem’ didn’t make it clear who he thinks will win the fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. However, a combat sports athlete from Glory Kickboxing had a clear pick between the two, and his name rhymes with ‘ball’.

Rico Verhoeven feels Tom Aspinall will cause a lot of problems for Jon Jones

Rico Verhoeven, the reigning Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion, holds Tom Aspinall in high regard and believes he has what it takes to trouble Jon Jones. Having sparred with Aspinall, Verhoeven witnessed the English fighter’s skills up close. There isn’t much that needs to be said about Aspinall’s performances within the Octagon, but Verhoeven highlighted that his friend brings much more to the table. In a recent interview, he emphasized the other layers of Aspinall’s game that make him a formidable opponent.

While speaking to MMA Junkie, Verhoeven didn’t hold back when speaking his mind, saying, “He has to take that fight. I know I understand his position and understand why he’s not like really eager to take that fight. Because Tom is a different type of animal. Believe me, he’s a different type of monster. He’s fast, he’s agile, he can grapple, he can wrestle, he’s good on the ground, he can box. He can kickbox, so I don’t think Jon wants a piece of Tom Aspinall.”

Well, Verhoeven came out and said something that is on the mind of many in the MMA community – Jon Jones is scared of Tom Aspinall, and hence doesn’t want to face him. Unless, it’s for good money, of course, which is fair, considering Jones’ status in the company as a legacy fighter. There is some hope on the horizon, however, as talks of negotiations between both parties are making the rounds, so let’s not discount Jones actually stepping in there with Aspinall.

What do you think of Jason Miller’s rant about the UFC 309 headliner? Also, what do you think of Rico Verhoeven counting Jones out in that fight? Do let us know in the comments down below.