In most cases, the UFC champion is regarded as the best fighter in their weight class worldwide. While there are numerous other MMA promotions across the globe, the UFC, led by Dana White, stands as the gold standard of the sport. It’s where the most skilled, toughest, and most talented fighters come together to compete against one another, solidifying it as the ultimate proving ground for MMA greatness.

But as far as the heavyweight division goes, three fighters can make a case for being the best in the world. One, of course, is the ‘undisputed’ UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and the second is interim champ Tom Aspinall. In fact, most fans will tell you that the Englishman is the ‘real’ champion. To complicate matters further, there is also PFL heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou, who left the UFC while still reigning as the division gold standard.

While a Jones-Ngannou fight is off the table for now, ‘Bones’ is in negotiations to make a fight with Aspinall. And while the interim champ has opened as the betting favorite, Joe Rogan thinks that in a sport as unpredictable as MMA, anything can happen. “Who knows, [maybe] Jon beats him. Jon might beat him up. He could take him down and f—ing rag doll him on the ground,” Rogan protested after Brendan Schaub suggested Aspinall may be the best heavyweight in the world.

Moreover, the UFC commentator felt that there is one very important question those favoring Aspinall are ignoring. “And we also don’t know what happens to Tom Aspinall in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds. We have zero idea. No one’s gotten there, no one’s even gotten close,” Rogan said on the JRE Fight Companion episode for UFC 312 last week.

Of course, the reasons Aspinall is favored over most people’s pick for the MMA GOAT are simple. The Englishman is younger, naturally bigger, and has a remarkably well-rounded game that is enough to get through Jones. However, Aspinall also holds the record for the shortest average fight time in the promotion (2:02 minutes). Moreover, has never been out of the second round in the UFC.

And if he does fight Jones, and goes more than two rounds against him (which he is likely to do just because of how brilliant Jones is), he will be entering unchartered territory. This raises many questions. Does Aspinall even have the gas tank to fight at his best in the latter rounds? Could it be that he gets dispirited if Jones makes it to the third? Will Aspinall have the same output and the same intensity as he shows in the early rounds?

Well, the short answer is we just don’t know. And we won’t know until Jones and Aspinall fight and the fight lasts more than two rounds. Rogan’s love for Jon Jones is well known and it isn’t surprising to see him jump to his boy’s defense. But what is more surprising is Rogan’s take on where Ngannou currently stands in the reigning heavyweight champions’ pecking order.

Joe Rogan feels Francis Ngannou may still be better than Jon Jones

Most feel that Jon Jones is yet to really prove himself at heavyweight. Why? Well because ‘Bones’ has only fought twice in the weight class and one of them was a 42-year-old on his last legs. This was pointed out rightly by Rogan’s friend, Brendan Schaub on the UFC commentator’s podcast. “There’s so many question marks [about Jones]… he is the best GOAT but you can’t tell me he’s the baddest heavyweight on the planet after being an older Stipe that’s not going to do it for me,” Schaub asserted, echoing the sentiment of most UFC fans.

Indeed, Jones needs to beat Aspinall. And ideally Ngannou as well. But since he is in a different promotion, that seems off the table. But as far as ‘The Predator’ is concerned, Rogan felt that Ngannou, despite having left the UFC, still has the claim to being the baddest heavyweight in the world. Unless, of course, someone- perhaps Jones or Aspinall- proves otherwise by beating him.

“Like Francis’ position is different than everybody’s. Heavyweight, monster, destroyer, knocks guys out with one shot. Like he’s always going to be thought of as the heavyweight champion until somebody beats him at heavyweight,” Rogan opined. What do you think about Joe Rogan’s take on the Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones matchup?