Tom Aspinall, the UFC interim heavyweight champion, was barred from attending the UFC 309 press conference despite his request, fueling speculation that Jon Jones is avoiding a fight with him in favor of less risky and more lucrative matchups.
Tom Aspinall had big plans for the UFC 309 press conference on Thursday. But guess what? He was told he couldn’t attend.
The UFC interim heavyweight champ has been making waves. He’s become a major talking point alongside the Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic heavyweight title fight this Saturday at Madison Square Garden. After weighing in as the backup, Aspinall appeared on the UFC 309 Morning Weigh-In show. Daniel Cormier suggested he should’ve “asked to be at the press conference.” Aspinall quickly set the record straight.
“Wait, wait,” Aspinall interrupted Cormier, “I did ask to be at the press conference.” He continued, “I was told no. I tried to go. I got blacklisted from the press conference.”
Originally, Jones was supposed to defend his heavyweight title against Miocic at UFC 295 last year. An injury took him out of that fight. Aspinall then faced Sergei Pavlovich for the interim belt and won with a brutal first-round finish.
Since then, fans have been buzzing about a potential Jones vs. Aspinall unification bout. Aspinall defended his title by stopping Curtis Blaydes in round one at UFC 304 in July. Yet, the UFC still went with Jones vs. Miocic, leaving many scratching their heads. Interestingly, Jones has repeatedly expressed disinterest in fighting Aspinall, preferring a more lucrative bout with light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira.
Din Thomas asked if Aspinall thought Jones was avoiding him.
“Yes,” Aspinall replied without hesitation. “He definitely is.” He elaborated on how Jones sees an easier path with less risk and more money elsewhere but firmly believes Jones is dodging him.
Jones’ behavior during fight week has raised eyebrows, especially his consistent efforts to sideline Aspinall. This leaves Aspinall puzzled—was there a simpler route? Maybe Jones is playing mind games, possibly setting up a future call-out if he wins on Saturday night.
“He could’ve just said he’s focusing on Stipe,” noted Aspinall. “That’s what most fighters do—focus on the task at hand.”
Aspinall wonders if Jones is trolling everyone by not dismissing him outright. Could it be a tactic to delay their fight? Who knows? It’s all speculation at this point, and only time will tell what’s really going on behind the scenes.