Tom Aspinall humorously signed a rubber duck with Jon Jones‘ name on it in New York, amid tensions and his efforts to secure a future unification bout with Jones or Stipe Miocic, neither of whom have committed to fighting him.
Tom Aspinall had an unusual autograph request just before UFC 309. He’s in New York, gearing up as the backup for Saturday’s main event. Jon Jones will be defending his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic.
Aspinall’s been pushing for a future unification fight with either Jones or Miocic. But, neither has promised anything beyond this weekend. They’re not even hinting at facing Aspinall next.
In NYC, Aspinall shared a funny moment with a fan on Instagram Stories. The fan asked him to sign a rubber duck with Jones’ name on it—hinting at Jones “ducking” Aspinall. Classic New York vibes, right?
“Wild place New York,” Aspinall commented on the video. Tensions between him and Jones are sky-high. Jones is a legend in the light heavyweight division and perhaps the best pound-for-pound fighter ever.
Jones won a vacant heavyweight title by submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 but couldn’t defend it against Miocic due to a pectoral injury. Meanwhile, Aspinall claimed an interim title by defeating Sergei Pavlovich and has defended it once.
Jones and Miocic are still focused on their rescheduled bout for November 16th. Jones has been dismissive of Aspinall’s challenge, calling him “such an assh*le that I don’t want to do business with him.” Ouch!