Who will be Jon Jones’s next opponent? That’s the question on every MMA fan’s mind since ‘Bones’ defended his undisputed heavyweight crown against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in 2024. With Tom Aspinall holding the interim title, a unification bout seemed like the obvious next step.

But while the MMA world waits for Jones to make his move, a new twist has thrown a wrench into Aspinall’s heavyweight title dreams. Once open to training with Jones, Alex Pereira has suddenly changed his stance. For Aspinall, who’s been waiting in the wings for a shot at Jones, this could be a problem. And according to a UFC legend, the Englishman might need to pay close attention.

Alex Pereira may be the hurdle for Tom Aspinall’s fight against Jon Jones, according to Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping recently revealed that Alex Pereira could be the disruptor of Tom Aspinall’s plans to challenge Jon Jones. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former middleweight champion explained, “Of course Pereira is now talking about Jon Jones. He said, a while ago, it made sense for me to want to train with Jon Jones, but it doesn’t make sense for Jon Jones anymore. Okay, what does that mean?”

What’s behind that sudden change? One possibility could be the fact that Pereira may be eyeing a future at heavyweight soon. As such, the switch in stances about training could mean that he may be positioning himself as a contender, rather than a training partner.

As such, being a close friend of Aspinall, Bisping didn’t mince his words about the potential fallout as he further stated, “Well, I’m just saying, I’m the biggest fan of Tom Aspinall, and he’s a personal friend, but if I’m Tom Aspinall, I’m starting now to, not get worried, because that’s just not in his nature. But if Pereira was to win at the weekend, do it in his signature fashion and get another highlight reel knockout and then on the microphone call out Jon Jones, the whole world loses its mind, right?”

At UFC 313, Alex Pereira is set to take on Magomed Ankalaev in what many believe will be his toughest test inside the Octagon so far. Since winning the light-heavyweight crown that was once dominated by Jon Jones, ‘Poatan’ has finished all challengers spectacularly. In fact, UFC boss Dana White has even repeatedly assured fans that Jones vs. Aspinall is a priority for 2025.

But with no date, no contract, and Jones still on the fence, everything remains up in the air as Bisping stated, “And I’m just saying there is a possibility, there is a world that if Alex Pereira called out Jon Jones and Jon Jones says I want it, and he might even go back down to 205 to fight him, then maybe Tom Aspinall doesn’t get to fight for the undisputed belt against Jon Jones.”

For now, all eyes are on Pereira’s fight. If he delivers another brutal finish, there’s no telling what he’ll say on the microphone. And if those words include a callout of Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall might find himself stuck in limbo!

Aspinall is ready to move on if ‘Bones’ is not willing to put his undisputed title on the line

Tom Aspinall is tired of the questions about his fight against Jon Jones. During a recent video on his YouTube channel, the interim heavyweight champion confessed, “I’ve been staying away from the media and talking about Jon Jones a lot because in all honesty, I’m sick of talking about it myself. But there needs to be updates.”

The answers, Aspinall revealed, aren’t in his hands. According to him, he’s spoken to the UFC brass about the fight multiple times and he’s “chasing it”. Yet, the hold-up isn’t from his end or the promotion’s. Aspinall further revealed, “As far as I’m aware, this is totally down to Jon Jones and his team to work that out. Because I’m in. The UFC are in.”

But where does that leave Aspinall? As mentioned above, a potential clash with Alex Pereira has the potential to ruin Aspinall’s shot at Jones. The light heavyweight champ has been wrecking everything in his path, and a blockbuster super fight between the two might even be too lucrative to ignore. Yet, Aspinall is only focused on the things he can control. How? He explained, “Jon, let’s do it. If you want to do it, you don’t have to ask me twice. If not, I’ll fight somebody else for the undisputed belt.”

If ‘Poatan’ delivers another highlight-reel finish at UFC 313 and calls out Jon Jones, the entire landscape of the division could shift overnight. But the question still remains, will Tom Aspinall get his shot at Jon Jones? Or will Alex Pereira swipe that fight out from under his nose after UFC 313? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!