Daniel Cormier just dropped a big prediction. The UFC Hall of Famer, who fought Jon Jones twice, says Jones would likely beat interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall if they fought now. Speaking on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cormier pointed to Jones’ experience in five-round fights as the key.
Cormier’s Breakdown
Cormier was clear.
“Gun to my head, I think Jon beats Tom,” he said. “I would have said he’ll probably beat him right now. Because, guess why? Tom has never been pushed into those championship rounds.”
He noted Aspinall’s fights, like his first-round knockouts of Curtis Blaydes and Sergei Pavlovich, never went past round two.
“Say Ciryl Gane pushes [Aspinall] 25 minutes. If he beats Ciryl Gane, but he learns to go 25 minutes where, for the first time you feel that [gasps for air], [and he’s] gotta get up off that stool after the third round… Tom hasn’t got off the stool for a third round. [Jones] needed to fight Tom now, when he doesn’t have that experience—especially as Jon Jones.”
Daniel Cormier says Jon Jones would beat Tom Aspinall if they fought right now! 🤯 #UFC pic.twitter.com/iVUBbOvLnG
— Pound 4 Pound (@pound4poundshow) July 3, 2025
Cormier, 46, born in Lafayette, Louisiana, on March 20, 1979, is a two-division UFC champ. He won the light heavyweight title in 2015 and the heavyweight title in 2018 against Stipe Miocic. With a 22-3 record and 1 no-contest, he lost to Jones by decision in 2015 and by knockout in 2017, though the latter was overturned due to Jones’ drug test failure. Cormier retired in 2020 after losing a trilogy to Miocic and now works as a UFC commentator and podcast host. His rivalry with Jones gives his prediction extra weight.
Jones, 37, retired in June 2025 after beating Miocic at UFC 309 in November 2024 but re-entered the UFC drug testing pool on July 4, 2025, hinting at a 2026 White House fight. Aspinall, 31, born in Wigan, England, on April 11, 1993, is the undisputed heavyweight champ with a 15-3 record, winning the interim title against Pavlovich in 2023 and defending it against Blaydes in 2024. His fights end quickly, but Cormier believes Jones’ five-round experience, shown in wins over Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira, would win out.
The White House fight, part of America’s 250th birthday in 2026, has no set date or fighters, but Jones and Conor McGregor have shown interest. Aspinall, frustrated by Jones’ retirement, is open to facing Ciryl Gane or Alexander Volkov. Cormier’s take keeps this dream fight alive in fans’ minds.
