Dana White may claim Jon Jones to be the best in not just the UFC but in all of MMA. However, there’s a section of people who seem to disagree with that for their own reasons. This includes English start, Tom Aspinall. The interim heavyweight recently shut down White’s claims with a rather bold claim about his upcoming fight against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in Manchester.

A first title defense in his native country isn’t too bad for Tom Aspinall, who’s on a mission to avenge his only UFC loss this weekend. With a tall task ahead of him, the self-proclaimed ‘Honey Badger’ laid down the implication of the fight against Curtis Blaydes, claiming that the best heavyweight will be crowned champion. Let’s have a look at his comments.

Tom Aspinall disregards Dana White’s claim about Jon Jones ‘G.O.A.T.’ status

The welterweight title fight between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad could be the main event, but there’s a lot of eagerness among fans to watch Tom Aspinall in action. During a recent interview, the interim champion broke his silence in an honest manner, claiming that his fight against Curtis Blaydes is going to be the deciding fight to determine the best in the division.

“I’m still going to be an interim champion if I win this Saturday. But you know what? I think, let’s make no mistake, this fight is for the best heavyweight, the number one heavyweight in the world,” Tom Aspinall told ‘FOX Sports’. Moreover, the Salford native didn’t look like he cared about the belt anymore. He just wants to beat Curtis Blaydes to seal his position in the heavyweight division while Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic get their business done.

“Regardless of title, which one’s undisputed and which one’s the interim and all that kind of stuff… the real people, the real fans know this fight defines who’s the best heavyweight in the world,” Tom Aspinall added. “Jon Jones and Stipe doing their thing. They’ve got a title, fair play, whatever. But this is the number one guy in the world fight.”

While we may not get to see Tom Aspinall battle Jon Jones anytime soon, a former champion joined legend Michael Bisping, echoing the same sentiment that the interim champion can easily overpower ‘Bones’. That former champion is none other than ‘The Great’ Alexander Volkanovski.

Ex-FW champ takes Aspinall’s side versus Jones

The kind of speed and power Tom Aspinall has showcased inside the Octagon, for many, makes him a special talent. That’s what Alexander Volkanovski stated when he shared his prediction for the co-main event this weekend. Without taking anything away from ‘Bones’, ‘The Great’ said, “Jon Jones is that good that maybe he can handle a heavyweight Tom Aspinall. If anyone is ever going to beat Jon Jones, it’s someone like Tom Aspinall that can really mix it up… He is that good,” on his YouTube channel.

Moving over to the prediction, Alexander Volkanovski, even though he lauded Curtis Blaydes’s ground game, believes in one or the other, Tom Aspinall will prevail. “I can see Curtis Blaydes… able to control him [Aspinall] the whole fight. I think Tom Aspinall is going to eventually catch him anyway,” the former featherweight champion added.

It’s a big fight for sure, not only for Tom Aspinall but for Curtis Blaydes as well. But do you think that win propels either of them to the same standing as Jon Jones? Let us know in the comments down below.