Daniel Cormier doubts Stipe Miocic would be interested in fighting Tom Aspinall while Jon Jones recovers from his injury.
At UFC 295, Jon Jones was scheduled to defend his heavyweight title for the first time in a blockbuster main event against Stipe Miocic. Unfortunately, Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle while training, leading to surgery and an unexpected layoff.
As a result, Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich accepted a short-notice fight for the UFC 295 co-main event, where Aspinall claimed the interim heavyweight title with a first-round finish. The 30-year-old English superstar now finds himself in a tricky situation.
The UFC plans to re-book the legacy fight between Jones and Miocic. Yet, ‘Bones’ may not return until mid-2024, assuming his recovery process goes smoothly. Therefore, Aspinall might have to defend his interim title or remain sidelined longer than he would like.
During an episode of DC & RC, Daniel Cormier’s co-host, Ryan Clark, proposed a potential fight between Aspinall and Miocic. Cormier responded by shutting down the idea:
“The reality is that won’t happen. That’s not something that you think these guys would agree to. I don’t believe that Stipe says, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna go fight this guy [Tom Aspinall] who is the interim champ, he’s dangerous, he’s tough, and give away a fight in Jon Jones, where you know you get more money. When you fight Jon Jones, you get more money. Why would Stipe, at, 41 risk that to fight Tom Aspinall? I don’t think it happens.”
Daniel Cormier believes Tom Aspinall will have to wait and see what happens with Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic
Tom Aspinall doesn’t seem interested in waiting nearly a year to fight again. Yet, the new interim heavyweight king has also voiced his desire to test himself against Jon Jones to fulfill his fantasy matchup.
During the previously mentioned episode of DC & RC, Daniel Cormier had this to say about Aspinall likely having to wait for the Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic situation to play out:
‘I think Tom Aspinall is gonna have to wait and see… He’s a stud, he’s a savage. Every word you could use to describe a great fighter is what Tom Aspinall is.”
Tom Aspinall made his UFC debut in July 2020 with a professional MMA record of 7-1. After securing five consecutive wins, all inside the distance, Aspinall endured a devastating knee injury at the fifteen-second mark of his fight with Curtis Blaydes in July 2022.
Luckily, Aspinall overcame the recovery process and made a statement in his return, a first-round knockout win against Marcin Tybura in July. The future is bright for the English heavyweight who now owns a portion of Jon Jones’ throne.
Watch the latest episode of DC & RC below:
