The entire MMA world has been waiting for the return of Jon Jones for a long time now. However, the fans are disappointed with the fact that ‘Bones’ did not test his skills against Tom Aspinall. While many believe this would hurt his legacy, his coach Brandon Gibson doesn’t quite feel so.

‘Bones’ was also scheduled to take on Francis Ngannou when he decided to make a move to the heavyweight division. He is now planning to end his career undefeated and as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. Can he achieve this status even after not facing two of the toughest fighters in the division? Well, Coach Gibson has the answer for you.

Coach Gibson feels Jon Jones will go down as one of the greatest

Since winning the interim title at UFC 295, Tom Aspinall has drawn a lot of attention from the fans. When Jones announced his return to the Octagon many felt he would take on the hard-hitting Brit. However, he showed no interest in facing the interim champion but was rather focused on Stipe Miocic. This was not the only battle in the heavyweight division that the fans were looking up to. When Jones decided to move to a new division he was scheduled to take on the then-current champion Francis Ngannou.

However, the fight never happened as ‘The Predator’ parted ways with the promotion. The fight can still happen after ‘Bones’ ends his contract with the UFC, feels Gibson. But the champion has faced a lot of criticism for not agreeing to take on Aspinall despite multiple callouts. It seems his team agrees with the decision and is unbothered by the criticism. During a recent interview with MMA coach, Shak, Gibson shared his honest opinion on the whole.

On being asked whether not facing the likes of Ngannou and Aspinall would affect his career, Gibson completely denied the claims. He said, “No I don’t think so. I think Jon’s gonna go down as the greatest you know. His accomplishments at light heavyweight and heavyweight are going to live on. Jon is an icon in this game whether he fights Tom Aspinall or not. I don’t think has any bearing on his legacy or his contributions to this sport.” 

In his last two fights, Tom Aspinall has finished the fights in the first round itself. Despite his dominating performance he still failed to draw the attention of the champion. However, Coach Gibson pointed out how he and his team always had an eye on the interim champion.

Tom Aspinall was always under the radar of Jon Jones, reveals Coach Gibson

Yes, you’ve heard it right! Although Jon Jones doesn’t feel Aspinall has accomplished anything substantial as of yet. The heavyweight champion was already dialed into the Englishman’s rise. Jones was out of action for a period of 3-years when he decided to make a move to the heavyweight division. However, he already had his future opponents choked out and the ‘Honey Badger’ was already on the cards. His coach gave out details of it during a recent interview with ‘Submission Radio’.

Brandon Gibson praised the 30-year-old Brit powerhouse for the kind of power he possesses. However, he pointed out he and his team had a close eye on him during his rise in the division. He said, “[Aspinall’s rise in the UFC was] no surprise at all. Back in the day when Jon was originally making his move up to heavyweight, we thought Francis was gonna be the opponent. We were studying the heavyweight landscape. Aspinall was a guy that we always had our eye on… for years now,”. Aspinall will serve as the backup fighter in the upcoming UFC 309 fight at Madison Square Garden. However, it seems his dream of facing Jones might never be accomplished as this might just be his last appearance inside the Octagon.

Do you think Tom Aspinall can take on Jon Jones for once in his career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.