Gordon Ryan, a jiu-jitsu wizard and training buddy of UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones, laid out his thoughts on interim champ Tom Aspinall’s grappling game. On March 17, 2025, he talked on The Ariel Helwani Show about how Jones could take Aspinall down in a big title fight everyone’s waiting for. Ryan says Aspinall’s got some moves, but Jones has the upper hand when it comes to wrestling and ground work. Fans are pumped for this clash, and Ryan’s giving them a sneak peek at what might go down.
Aspinall’s Ground Game
Ryan gave props to Aspinall but pointed out a weak spot.
“He’s definitely got good takedowns. He’s got decent Jiu-Jitsu. The one fight I saw of him losing, he actually got heel hooked. And, the heel hook wasn’t particularly tight. That was a long time ago and Tom obviously, has gotten a lot better since then,” Ryan said.
He’s talking about Aspinall’s old loss to Lukasz Parobiec in 2016, way before UFC days. Ryan admits Tom’s improved tons since then, but that heel hook memory sticks out.
Jones’s Grappling Power
Ryan’s all about Jones winning if they wrestle.
“Grappling is definitely a situation where I think that we can win the exchanges. Especially because, Jon already has a grappling background and he’s very good at putting guys down, very good at mixing everything up, and very good at holding guys down,” he said.
Gordon Ryan on Tom Aspinall’s grappling:
“He’s definitely got good takedowns. He’s got decent jiu-jitsu. The one fight I saw of him losing, he actually got heel hooked, and the heel look wasn’t particularly tight…That was a long time ago and Tom obviously has gotten a lot… pic.twitter.com/wRTwpBguRy
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 17, 2025
Jones has smashed big names like Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic with his ground skills. Ryan thinks that experience could trip up Aspinall, even with his fast hands and feet.
Jon Jones, 37, grabbed the heavyweight belt at UFC 285 in 2023 and beat Stipe Miocic in November 2024 at UFC 309. He’s got a 27 and 1 record, with years of wrestling and jiu-jitsu in his bag.
Tom Aspinall, 31, is the interim champ with a 15 and 3 record, all 12 UFC wins by finish. He knocked out Curtis Blaydes in July 2024 at UFC 304 to keep his title. They’re the top dogs at 265 pounds, and fans want them to fight bad.
This fight talk’s been hot since Jones won his belt. Aspinall’s been begging for it, but Jones has dodged so far, maybe eyeing cash or other plans. Ryan training with Jones gives him inside scoop. If it happens, UFC heavyweight gold’s on the line, and Ryan’s betting Jones’s mat game could seal it.
