To say Tom Aspinall is one of the best current heavyweights in the UFC is quite an understatement. Aspinall is the winningest fighter in the UFC’s heaviest weight class, having dispatched everyone they put in front of him, barring one fight he lost due to an injury from a kick he threw. To right that wrong, he exacted revenge by finishing that very man, Curtis Blaydes, in their rematch. So, it makes sense that Jon Jones is treading with caution when it comes to the prospect of facing the interim champion. And why wouldn’t he? At this point, Tom Aspinall could very well derail his hype, and undo the efforts he’s made to make it into the GOAT conversation.

Of course, fans and the overall fight community want to see the Englishman test the American two-weight champion. With one interim title defense, Aspinall has more than earned the right to unify the heavyweight belts with Jon Jones. One heavyweight legend, former UFC champion Randy Couture said the same in an interview with MMA Crazy. “It sounds to me like whether that fight happens or not, it’s up to Jon Jones. I think Tom has earned the right to that fight and, kind of, settle the questions once and for all. But whether Jon is going to step up and actually accept that fight and take that fight is a question. Only Jon can answer that, unfortunately.”, said the former two-weight UFC legend.

On being asked his thoughts about the fight, if and when it happens, he said, “ I mean, I think it will be a great fight. Jon has stepped into the heavyweight division and settled himself as a bona fide heavyweight now. He’s had a couple of great fights in the heavyweight division. He looks very very good. Tom is at the top of his game. He has, kind of, filled that void and deserves a shot, so let’s unify things and see where we stand. I think that’s the way the sport works.”

While Couture seems composed in the video, at one point in time, he also seemed a bit fed up with Jon Jones slipping and sliding at the mention of Tom Aspinall. In a previous interview, ‘The Natural’ urged the heavyweight champion to unify the titles with Aspinall. Let’s take a closer look.

Randy Couture asked Jones to step up his game

In what is sure to calm rabid fans down, the UFC head honcho Dana White hinted that Jones vs Aspinall might happen in 2025. He spoke about the same after UFC Tampa concluded. “Yeah, I’ll say 100%”, the boss declared to The Mac Life when he was asked about this mega fight. On the other hand, Couture challenged Jones and issued the following message to ‘Bones’, while speaking to TalkSport MMA,  “You’re supposedly the GOAT. Step up and fight whoever they want you to fight. I just… I don’t know, honestly. I’m not in Jon’s head, so I couldn’t tell you. But I think he needs to step up and fight the guys they want him to fight. You can’t shy away from anybody.”

The former UFC fighter, now-turned actor also mentioned Francis Ngannou who has a history with Jones. ‘The Predator’ was slated to fight ‘Bones’ but, much like the Jones of today, wanted ‘Deontay Wilder money’ which was not negotiable, leading to to a contract rift with UFC, where he ended up leaving the promotion. However, he has not ruled out the possibility of a future fight.

The PFL champ might also fight the winner of Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall according to speculations by ex-UFC heavyweight and podcaster Brendan Schaub. How likely do you think that is? Not very, considering Dana White is sour when it comes to anything Ngannou at this point. However, it is quite likely that Jon Jones faces Tom Aspinall next if the UFC head honcho obliges his “f**k you” money demands. For now, fans can only wait and anticipate.

What do you think of Randy Couture’s critique of Jon Jones? Do you agree with his stance of wanting to see the titles unified? Let us know in the comments down below.