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11 months ago
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Jon Jones has fired back at 'hilarious' claims by Tom Aspinall for him to be stripped of his UFC heavyweight title.
'Bones' is out for the long term having torn his pectoral tendon off the bone in training, with Aspinall knocking out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 to take the interim belt.
Rather than delay the division of a large chunk of 2024, Aspinall believes Jones should be stripped and then be given an immediate title shot when he's fit again.
'I think Jon Jones should be stripped from the title to be honest, because everyone else does when they get injured like that,' Aspinall told Michael Bisping.
'I don't see why he's still got it. I don't understand that. I think I should be the real champion right now.
Tom Aspinall (right) believes Jon Jones should be stripped of the UFC heavyweight title
Jones was due to feature at UFC 295 but had to pull out of the event with a nasty injury
'It's hard to say without sounding rude, but who's asked about Jon Jones and Stipe anymore? Why do we get this legacy fight, and they get to live by their own rules? What's a legacy fight, a retirement fight for a title?
'I want to fight Stipe and then I want to fight Jon Jones. I think all this other stuff is rubbish. Stop protecting him now. Stop protecting your boy Jon Jones at the top. If he's injured, get out of the way and I'll fight Stipe.'
But the 36-year-old American has now fired back, pointing out his flawless CV.
He wrote: 'I've faced the absolute toughest competition this world had to offer for 15 years now.
'During camp for a title defense, I sustained a major injury that required surgery for the first time in my career. Now, I have newcomers requesting I get my championship stripped.
'Zero wins over legends, zero title defenses, and already thinking you can call the shots to Dana [White], that's hilarious.'
The reply was short and sweet from Aspinall, with more than a hint of sarcasm.
'You're right. Sorry Jon,' he posted.
British star Aspinall is not content to sit on the sidelines and wait for Jones to return
Aspinall was not mentioned by name in Jones' message but was clearly the intended recipient.
White, meanwhile, remains adamant that the previously scheduled bout between Jones and Miocic must take place.
When asked about the calls to strip Jones, he replied: 'The Stipe fight has to happen. You know, both of those guys deserve it.
'Jon – you’ve got the greatest mixed martial artist of all time versus the greatest heavyweight of all time. And they’ve paid their dues, they’ve done the thing. These two wanna fight each other. It’s gonna happen.'
When asked about the calls to strip Jones, he replied: 'The Stipe fight has to happen. You know, both of those guys deserve it.
'Jon – you’ve got the greatest mixed martial artist of all time versus the greatest heavyweight of all time. And they’ve paid their dues, they’ve done the thing. These two wanna fight each other. It’s gonna happen.'
English (US)