Chael Sonnen has retracted his claim that a fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall is confirmed, suggesting instead that Tom Aspinall will face Ciryl Gane for the interim championship, while Jones might wait 180 days before deciding on his next opponent.
Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall? Not so fast, says Chael Sonnen. Just a day ago, he claimed the fight was set, but now he’s backtracking.
Sonnen, a three-time UFC title challenger, initially believed the fight was on. But now, he sees another obstacle in the way. On his YouTube channel, he clarified his previous statements.
“OK, I might have said that,” Sonnen admitted. “I did believe it to be true at the time. But let’s be clear: I told you Tom Aspinall’s next fight is done; I just don’t know if it’s against Jon Jones.”
Instead of Jones, Sonnen predicts Ciryl Gane will challenge Aspinall for the interim belt. “The current plan is Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane for the interim championship,” he noted.
This heavyweight drama started when Francis Ngannou left UFC in 2023 with the belt still his. Jones then moved up from light heavyweight and quickly defeated Gane at UFC 285.
However, an injury sidelined Jones from defending against Stipe Miocic later. Aspinall stepped up and won an interim title by defeating Alexander Volkov.
Both fighters have since defended their titles. Aspinall avenged a loss to Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, while Jones beat Miocic at UFC 309.
Jones has dismissed talks of fighting Aspinall, questioning his opponent’s credentials despite Aspinall’s impressive 8-1 UFC record.
According to Sonnen, if fans want to see Jones vs. Aspinall, it’s on Aspinall to impress first. “Pressure’s on him,” Sonnen stated.
“We’re going to have both an interim and undisputed champion,” Sonnen continued. “And we might see this play out in nine weeks at International Fight Weekend.”
Sonnen claims a reliable source says Jones will get a six-month break as requested. Meanwhile, Aspinall is set to face Gane—a match discussed months ago.
Sonnen points out the irony: defending an interim title with an undisputed champion present defies logic and definitions. Yet, MMA follows its own evolving rules.
In typical Sonnen style, he concludes with a nod to MMA’s unique rule-making: “We closely follow the rules that we make up as we go.”