“Big Ank 🤝 Big Tom.” It seems that the newly crowned 205lbs king Magomed Ankalaev has sparked a bromance by offering his friendship to interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. But what led to this unexpected alliance? The connection traces back to the once-rumored potential super-fight between Alex Pereira and Jon Jones, who were both aiming for a “champ vs. champ” showdown. Moreover, both fighters dismissed Ankalaev and Aspinall as potential opponents in their respective divisions, leading some fans to accuse them of “ducking” the pair.

Earlier this month, the Dagestani ended Alex Pereira‘s hopes of moving to the heavyweight division by dethroning him, which only strengthened the bond between him and Aspinall. Additionally, it was also seen as a favor to the Englishman as the undisputed champ’s only option would be to unify the gold in the future. Aspinall even expressed his admiration via X and said, “I am a big fan of Magomed Ankalaev.” Moreover, the duo even indicated that they would train together via an exchange online.

It’s been nearly 500 days since Aspinall became the interim heavyweight champion, and he is now focused on claiming the undisputed title. Dana White and Co. have hinted at a potential Jones vs. Aspinall heavyweight clash this summer, possibly coinciding with UFC 317. However, recent reports from journalist Ariel Helwani suggest that ‘Bones’ has requested an additional six months to prepare for a potential fight with the interim king, putting a damper on both Aspinall’s and the UFC’s hopes. ‘Bones’ new timeline pushes the fight to November, frustrating the Brit.

In support of his friend, Ankalaev took to X to defend Aspinall, posting a picture of a duck with Jones’ face on it. Moreover, the 205lbs champ even dared the heavyweight champ to drop down to a weight class he once dominated to fight the Dagestani. “Johnny Chicken Bones doesn’t want to fight Big TOM. Come back to light heavyweight and fight Big ANK. Stop running.”

In an interview with One on One, the Englishman gave a scathing warning to Jones over the delay. “There’s nowhere to go for Jon. He either has to fight me or retire now. And if he does retire, everyone knows that he will have been avoiding me.” It is safe to say that Jones’ actions have frustrated fans and fight enthusiasts alike.

Aspinall’s father, Andy, made it clear this week that he is fed up with the constant delays in the unification bout. He even called for Jones to either fight or vacate the belt, arguing that the reigning heavyweight champ’s new timeline has turned him into the villain of the promotion. Even UFC veterans are voicing their displeasure with Jones’ actions. Let’s take a closer look at that front!

Chael Sonnen reacted to Jon Jones’ six-month plan to face Tom Aspinall

After being sidelined for over a year and a half, Jon Jones made his long-awaited return to the Octagon at UFC 309 in November, where he successfully defended his heavyweight title for the first time against two-time former champion Stipe Miocic with a spinning back kick. With that victory, it became clear to everyone that interim champion Tom Aspinall would be next in line for the highly anticipated unification bout.

In December, Jon Jones’ sparring partner and grappling legend Gordon Ryan posted a photo with ‘Bones’ in the gym, captioned “Last and final champ,” signaling that the reigning champ was gearing up for his swansong. However, this week, a bombshell report from Ariel Helwani rocked the MMA world when he revealed that Jon Jones has requested an additional six months of preparation time, effectively pushing the fight to November 2025. Verbose analyst Chael Sonnen, among many others, voiced his frustration with Jon Jones’ extended timeline.

On his YouTube channel, Sonnen expressed his disbelief and fired off a series of pointed questions at ‘Bones’: “We’ve got four months [since Jones defended at UFC 309]! I don’t know if he [Jones] was training [for Aspinall], but he wasn’t prohibited from training. For heaven’s sake, did he take the whole time off? It’s been four and a half months since that fight. Did he not train? Train with Aspinall in mind? Did he not know the undisputed champion would be facing the interim champion? What do you mean six months — six months from when?”

What’s your take on Jon Jones pushing back a potential matchup with Tom Aspinall? Do you think ‘Bones’ is intentionally delaying the fight? If so, what’s preventing Dana White and the UFC from stripping Jones of his heavyweight title? Share your thoughts below.