It seems like UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is putting all his effort into delaying Tom Aspinall’s dream unification title bout. In a new twist, Jones recently referenced Alex Pereira‘s callout to Aspinall from months ago, seemingly using ‘Poatan’ as a shield to avoid facing the Englishman directly. This became evident during Jones’ latest appearance on Full Send MMA, where the host brought up Gordon Ryan’s thoughts on a potential fight between Aspinall and Pereira.

A week prior, Gordon Ryan had discussed the same idea with Jon Jones. When the host asked Jones, “Did he (Ryan) ever run that by you?” Jones confirmed the conversation but expressed doubt about the UFC’s willingness to pursue the matchup. Reflecting on the situation, Jones said, “I don’t know if that’s what the UFC wants to do. I’d be cool if they did fight. I don’t really have an opinion on it. You know, I’m just worried about what I’m going to do and how things are going with me in the UFC, how negotiations are going.”

Earlier, Jon Jones was vocal about wanting to face Alex Pereira next, describing him as a “dangerous and established” fighter, seemingly sidelining Aspinall’s contention for a title shot. Jones appeared confident about a potential fight with Pereira, particularly as he began to consider how many fights he has left in his career.

However, UFC boss Dana White dismissed the idea of a heavyweight clash between Pereira and Jones during the UFC 309 post-fight press conference. White strongly opposed the matchup, citing the substantial size disparity between Jones and Pereira. He dismissed Pereira’s candidacy, stating that Jones was “too big” for Pereira, effectively ruling out any chance of the fight happening.

Paul Felder doubts Pereira vs. Jones will draw big numbers

At 37 years old, Jones may not have much fuel left in the tank. Owing to this, ‘Bones’ is now looking for exciting matchups, like a super-fight against Alex Pereira, who has become the face of the UFC in just four years since his debut. The Brazilian has quickly become one of the most active fighters on the roster, helping to salvage Dana White’s lackluster cards earlier this year. He lived up to his reputation with back-to-back headline fights, carrying the UFC on his shoulders and quickly becoming a fan favorite.

This could be a great way to generate buzz and lucrative pay-per-view sales, which Jones sees as a source of motivation. One can understand Jones’ psyche over a potential Pereira fight simply by listening to what he had to say at the UFC 309 post-fight presser. “I just feel like anybody would understand at this point. I’ll retire the heavyweight belt if I have to. … Tom can have the heavyweight championship. I don’t really care about it.” Jones even added that he would happily retire if the UFC didn’t give him what he wanted.

However, UFC veteran Paul Felder disagreed with the narrative surrounding the potential fight between Jones and Pereira. Felder dismissed the idea on the Believe You Me podcast with Michael Bisping, stating, “Anytime people start to doubt if Jon could beat this guy—that’s what draws numbers. Name-wise, maybe Alex Pereira has done a little bit more, but I think fans know how that fight’s going to go.”

What do you think of the potential matchup between

Tom Aspinall and Alex Pereira? Is it the right fight, or would you prefer to see Jon Jones face either Pereira or Aspinall? With so many intriguing options, which matchup would you be most excited to see in reality? Share your thoughts below!