Paul’s lone loss in boxing came by split decision to [autotag]Tommy Fury[/autotag] in February 2023. Fury spent some time training MMA with UFC interim heavyweight champion [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] and would love nothing more than to beat Paul in MMA, too.
“Jake Paul’s in the PFL, isn’t he? I’m going to smash his face in when I get good at MMA,” Fury said on his YouTube channel. “I’ll beat him in boxing and the cage. Big useless prick. I reckon a year-and-a-half to two years of training until I’ll beat him in a fight, no problem, in the cage.
“He’s got the funds, he’s got the best trainers in the world, he’s got the best sparring in the world. So he’s doing all right. But no match for me. I swear to you, next time I fight him, I’ll knock him out. In MMA, I just want to give him a big fat (knee). All elbows, no fists.”
Since losing to Fury in the ring, Paul (10-1) rebounded with four consecutive wins, most recently a TKO of Mike Perry in July. He takes on 58-year-old boxing legend Mike Tyson (50-6-2) on Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
It’s no surprise who will be the first phone call if the UFC 309 main event takes a blow.
LAS VEGAS – The UFC 309 main event backup fighter doesn’t come as a surprise.
Interim champion [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] will be the first phone call made should the heavyweight title fight between champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] or challenger [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] need a replacement, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Tuesday.
“Yes, Tom Aspinall is next in line for anything that happens after this fight,” White said after Dana White’s Contender Series 72 at the UFC Apex.
UFC 309 takes place Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Should everything go according to plan and Aspinall not be need, the main event will mark the end of an ongoing logjam at the top of the promotion’s heavyweight division.
For over a year, the promotion has remained dead set on Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) vs. Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) as the next heavyweight title fight. It was initially scheduled for UFC 295 in November 2023, but an injury to Jones pushed the fight back 12 months.
Although Jones has called Miocic his final fight (as recently as Saturday), White has continually voiced his hunch Jones’ fighting career will extend beyond that. White said he hasn’t spoken to Jones about fights beyond the one currently on the books.
“Why speak to him after this (past weekend’s) event?” White said. “You’ve got to figure out what’s going to happen in this fight, see how this fight plays out, and then we’ll go from there.”
Much to Tom Aspinall’s joy, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic is finally official.
Much to [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag]’s joy, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] is finally official.
Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) defends his heavyweight title vs. Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in the UFC 309 main event Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Interim heavyweight champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has long awaited the fight announcement, which took a year to be rebooked, and he plans on being in attendance – not just as a spectator, but as a backup fighter.
“Big Jon Jones, big Stipe Miocic matched up with one another – finally it’s official,” Aspinall said on his YouTube channel. “Nov. 16, MSG, New York City, the heavyweight title is on the line at long last. Finally, we are confirmed for it, and I will of course be there to watch these two gentlemen go at it.
“I, of course, have told the UFC that if anybody gets injured or there’s any other reason why nobody can make it to that fight, (if) one of them pull out, I’m ready to go. If I need to, I’ll fight both of them in the same night, no problem. Give me my undisputed title.”
After defending his interim title with a quick TKO of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, Aspinall can’t wait for the opportunity to prove he’s the true heavyweight champion.
“In my opinion, it should not be two champions in one weight division, I think that is silly,” Aspinall said. “This is not what UFC is about. This is not what MMA is about. There’s one guy in each weight division, and I believe it’s me.
“So I’ll be fighting the winner. I will be there if they need me. I’ll be fit and ready. I’m training right now. I’m ready to go. I’ll be ready to go on Nov. 16 if I need to. MSG is the place where I won the title, I’ll go back there and I’ll unify the title there as well if I need to.”
Tom Aspinall’s more aggressive approach towards Jon Jones is completely intentional.
[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag]’s more aggressive approach toward [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is completely intentional.
Aspinall’s (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) verbal attacks on Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) have gotten the UFC heavyweight champion’s attention but not the fight Aspinall so eagerly desires. Jones insists on defending his title against Stipe Miocic, leaving interim heavyweight champ Aspinall in a quandary. But with Jones vs. Miocic yet to have an official date, Aspinall is staying ready just in case.
“We’re still waiting. I’m training with that in mind. As far as I am concerned, I am training to fight potentially in November,” Aspinall told TNT Sports. “So no matter what happens, I’ll be fit and ready to go in November. No confirmation of the fight yet, no confirmation if I am the backup yet, they did tell me that after my last fight (vs. Blaydes). The heavyweight title fight between Stipe and Jon Jones is not official yet, so still waiting.”
Aspinall continues to poke at Jones. He thinks his strategy could end up paying off – or at least he hopes so.
“He wants the easy fight, Stipe for now,” Aspinall said of Jones. “But I have the faith. Jon’s getting a bit ticked off with me at the minute, which is my intention. I’m trying to test his ego to see if he could be like, ‘Actually, I’m the man at heavyweight. I’m going to show you.’
“So that’s what I’m working on at the moment. It seems that Jon is getting a little bit fuming with me, so that’ll be nice if he continues that. He might be trolling everybody. Who knows?”
Check out MMA Junkie’s live Q&A with Gorgeous George on Monday, 1 p.m. ET. We’ll be chatting Jones-Aspinall feud, Ngannou’s return, more.
With no episode of “Spinning Back Clique” this week due to Labor Day, MMA Junkie be hosting a special live stream Q&A with “Gorgeous” George on Monday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT). “Gorgeous” George will be taking live fan questions about the latest in the world of MMA.
There are tons of things going on as the [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] continue to feud online. There’s also plenty on the horizon with [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s return to MMA, who takes on [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in PFL, and the UFC’s debut show at Sphere on Sept. 14 celebrating Mexican Independence, among many other things.
You can watch MMA Junkie’s live Q&A with “Gorgeous” George in the video above, and you can submit questions on the YouTube live chat.
If there’s one thing Jon Jones doesn’t like, it’s disrespect – which is the route Tom Aspinall is now taking with him. And DC loves it.
[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] believes we’re edging closer to [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] becoming a reality.
Interim heavyweight champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has taken a different approach in trying to get champ Jones’ attention, which Cormier thinks could eventually pay off.
Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) threw a vulgar insult Aspinall’s way and took to X to answer some fan questions – which included shots at Aspinall. Cormier says it’s a good sign that Jones continues to address Aspinall.
“Tom Aspinall, while I thought he completely fumbled the post-fight interview with me in Manchester, seems to be frustrated,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Honestly, frustration might be good right now because in frustration, you start to really show your true feelings on the situation. He was very respectful in that interview, and what does respectful get you? It doesn’t really get you all that you want. Now respect’s out the window with this dude, and he’s just telling it how it is.
“Here’s one thing about Jon Jones, and this can be from me because I’m a person that lived it with him: The thing about Jon Jones (is that) he doesn’t like disrespect. He can’t ignore when you take shots at him. and that’s why it was very easy to get under his skin. …We, as fighters, don’t like being disrespected, especially one who has had as much success as Jon Jones has had. At the end of the day, Jon Jones is a champion, and he is a competitor.”
Cormier pointed at Aspinall’s PEDs dig toward Jones as particularly impactful. Having personally gone through a rivalry with Jones, Cormier knows when he’s really starting to get irked.
“Things are picking up at heavyweight. I think we’re closer today to Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall fighting than we’ve ever been,” Cormier said. “Because I’m telling you, I don’t know Jon Jones personally, but I do know him in beef and in beef, disrespect is always what gets you closer to fighting him. Tom Aspinall is being disrespectful now, and I think that is going to work to his advantage in terms of getting this fight.”
Tom Aspinall drastically changed his tone toward Jon Jones. Will it work in landing his much-desired fight? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”
[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] made headlines last week with his change in tone toward UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag].
The usually respectful UFC interim heavyweight champ took to social media to criticize Jones and his expected title defense against [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] in November. Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who had been somewhat reserved in expressing his interest in fighting Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC), turned things up a notch with creative skits and strong comments directed at the living legend.
How is Aspinall coming off with this new approach? Will it work in landing a much-desired championship fight against Jones?
MMA Junkie’s Matt Wells, Nolan King, Mike Bohn, and host “Gorgeous” George discuss Aspinall’s recent comments and the talk it’s generated in the MMA community.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.
Dana White and reporters debated the pound-for-pound No. 1 and Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic for over 12 minutes.
LAS VEGAS – UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] has vehemently defended two topics perhaps more than any others over the past year. The first, is who the pound-for-pound best fighter is right now. The second is that his answer to that question, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag], who he thinks should rightfully fight [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] next.
Following Dana White’s Contender Series 69 on Tuesday at the UFC Apex, White engaged with reporters in a lengthy, back-and-forth discussion.
The debate was respectful but passionate, as White verbally traded with media members, mainly veteran reporters Kevin Iole and John Morgan.
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 09: TUF Coach, Jon Jones (L) and Dana White, UFC President/UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, of the television show “The Ultimate Fighter” speak during the FX Networks portion of the 2013 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at the Langham Hotel and Spa on January 9, 2013 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Jones as pound-for-pound No. 1
The 12-plus-minute exchange began as White was about to wrap his post-event news conference. He was jokingly asked about Jones’ status as the “pound-for-pound GOAT.”
The argument is one that White has repeated his stance on increasingly in recent weeks. The frequency and enthusiasm has amused online commenters and meme-creators.
Iole asked, “Does he have pictures of you?” to which laughs came.
“Are you guys that f*cking stupid?” White laughed back. “You can’t be that f*cking stupid to think that Jon Jones is not the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world and the GOAT… but maybe you are?”
White stood up to leave but then sat back down to engage. Eleven more minutes of discussion took place thereafter.
“Question me,” White said. “Who’s better than Jon Jones? Who’s pound-for pound better than Jon Jones?”
Morgan jumped in and answered, “At what point does inactivity come into play, right? We all agree there is nobody better than Jon Jones. He is the greatest of all time. There’s no question about it. But at some point, when you’re looking at rankings, they do have to represent what’s happening in the organization at that moment, right at that time, and in the past three years, he’s had one fight.”
White’s answer to that question revolved around the inactivity not being a choice, but rather an injury, which Jones (27-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) suffered weeks before an initial booking with Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) scheduled for November 2023. Jones was out of action for three years when he returned to win heavyweight gold vs. Ciryl Gane in March 2023, and he hasn’t fought since. Meanwhile, [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has become interim heavyweight champion, even scoring a rare defense of that interim belt against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July.
“You talk about inactivity and that he’s only fought one time. Jon Jones was supposed to fight,” White said. “If Jon Jones was sitting on the couch saying, ‘I don’t know when I’m going to fight again,’ then he’s definitely not in the pound-for-pound discussion right now. He was scheduled to fight and he got injured. He’s an active fighter.”
White then brought up Islam Makhachev, the fighter many media members and fans think deserves the pound-for-pound designation. Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) has defended the UFC lightweight title three times, though two of those were against then-featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, and one was a highly-debated decision. He is currently ranked No. 1 in the UFC’s official pound-for-pound rankings.
“Islam, many people believe, lost to the guy (Volkanovski) who’s a weight class below him,” White said. “Is that how pound-for-pound works?”
Jones vs. Stipe
White and Iole then went back-and-forth about the definition of “active” before the conversation pivoted to the booking between Jones and Miocic.
“Everyone in this room thinks Aspinall is more highly-rated than Stipe, at this point,” Iole said. “Stipe’s reputation is fantastic but he has not won a fight since he beat (Daniel Cormier) – in four years. That also plays into it as partially a factor when you have a guy like Aspinall knocking out Serghei Pavlovich in less than a minute, Curtis Blaydes in less than a minute, etc., etc.”
White said he didn’t disagree, but offered up a different stance and laid out an argument that’s crux was not wanting to disrespect Miocic, who missed out on the Jones fight in late 2023 not because of his own doing.
“Here’s the flip side to that,” White said. “What do I do? The guy who’s looked at as the greatest heavyweight in the UFC, right? This fight’s set up. Jon Jones gets hurt. It’s not his fault. He has to wait and go back into training camp again. He was training. So do I just yank it away from Stipe and say, ‘Hey, go f*ck yourself and sit on the sidelines for two more years’? If I did that you guys would be like, ‘Oh, you f*cking disrespected the greatest heavyweight ever,’ so would the f*cking fans. So I should just sh*t on Stipe because Jon got hurt, and not make the fight that he was already supposed to fight?'”
Iole rebutted that Miocic should’ve fought Aspinall in Jones’ absence, rather than sit and wait for the champion.
“This is the fight (Jones and Miocic) both want,” White said. “What do you do? You don’t show the guys their respect. I guarantee you this, if Stipe wins, Stipe is going to retire. This will be Stipe’s last fight. Are you the media telling me I should just tell Stipe to f*ck off and (say), ‘Good luck to you Stipe. Go ride off into the sunset and fight some fires and that’s a wrap for you, buddy,” because Jon got hurt? Or do I show this guy the respect that I should show him and give them both the fight that they want? That’s the position I’m in.”
Unsurprisingly, no agreement was reached. White, with a smile, declared Jones’ status as the pound-for-pound best fighter once last time before he departed the table and was replaced by beaming UFC contract-earner Malcolm Wellmaker.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 04: Jon Jones looks on during the UFC heavyweight championship fight against Ciryl Gane of France during the UFC 285 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 04, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
What’s next
Jones and Miocic are “targeted” to fight at UFC 309, an event Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York, White confirmed Tuesday. White said the lack of formal announcement by the promotion is due to its calendar not being filled out until that point.
Aspinall, the promotion’s interim titleholder, defended that championship at UFC 304 in July when he knocked out Curtis Blaydes. It’s unclear what his next competitive move is, though he’s upped his callouts of Jones in recent weeks, even creating skit videos in an attempt to angle for the fight.
UFC on ESPN 62 results, Tom Aspinall’s full court press on Jon Jones, Dana White trashing Merab Dvalishvili and more are topics on this week’s “Spinning Back Clique.”
Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.
This week’s panel of Matthew Wells, Mike Bohn and Nolan King joined host “Gorgeous” George Garcia to discuss and debate the following topics:
UFC on ESPN 62 went down Saturday in Las Vegas and saw [autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] get his breakthrough win at middleweight against Jared Cannonier in the main event. Is Borralho poised to be a title contender? The panel will speculate and discuss the other notable results from the final UFC event of August.
[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] has seemingly had enough of being jerked around in the heavyweight division, and he’s gone all-out in pursuit of a title unification bout with [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] in the form of videos, social media posts and even stirring injury rumors about Stipe Miocic. But will any of it matter?
The promotion is underway for [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s return to MMA competition against [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] at PFL’s pay-per-view event on Oct. 19. The pair faced off for the first time and had a press conference where a comment by Ferreira that was seemingly misinterpreted became a hot topic of discussion.
UFC champions Ilia Topuria and Belal Muhammad, as well as former two-division titleholder Henry Cejudo, gave notable interviews to MMA Junkie over the past week where they gave insight into their respective future plans.
Noche UFC is drawing near: [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] was not happy with [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] posting footage of a cut he suffered in training less than three weeks from the event, and Sean O’Malley has voiced some frustration over the way in which the card is being promoted.
Daniel Cormier is enjoying Tom Aspinall’s more aggressive approach towards Jon Jones.
[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] is enjoying [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag]’s more aggressive approach towards [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag].
Interim heavyweight champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) continues to try and lure Jones into fighting him, but the heavyweight champion is adamant that the Stipe Miocic fight needs to happen.
Aspinall had reached a point where he almost gave up on his pursuit of fighting Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC), until he took a different approach. Aspinall started mocking Jones by putting together skits, and Cormier approves of this method.
“The fact that he’s not being as respectful as he was before is a massive, massive win for Tom Aspinall because before, it was easy to ignore him,” Cormier said on his “Funky and the Champ” show with Ben Askren.
Cormier is unsure what to make of Jones’ attitude. Jones has been dismissive of Aspinall, and hinted at potential retirement after he fights Miocic. Cormier wants to see Aspinall continue to poke at Jones and put the champion in a position in which he may have to fight him.
“I believe that those guys should fight, but Jon seems – and I don’t know if he’s trolling; he really can be trolling because I don’t know Jon Jones to be openly saying, ‘I’m just not fighting that guy,'” Cormier said. “That doesn’t seem to be his personality.
“But when you read that post on X, how do you not take from that that he just doesn’t want to fight this kid? .. (Aspinall) could flat-out say, ‘This man is afraid to fight me,’ and people draw to that like nothing you’ve seen before. And when (Jones) says that, openly say, ‘OK, I’m the backup fighter for (Jones vs. Miocic in) New York City.'”
