Tom Aspinall will officially become the longest-reigning interim champion in UFC history April 29, passing Renan Barao’s record of 534 days.
The end to Aspinall’s streak is nowhere in sight.
When Barao was interim champ, the undisputed champion was out with injury. With Aspinall, it’s a blatant case of the champ avoiding a threatening fight.
Jon Jones has held the heavyweight title captive since UFC 295. He was scheduled for a bout with Stipe Miocic, who is widely regarded as the division’s greatest fighter ever, but an injury for Jones cancelled the bout.
Aspinall knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in a single round to become the interim champion.
To most, this was an indication that he would be next in line for a fight with Jones.
However, Jones insisted on the Miocic fight, forcing UFC to book it as UFC 309’s main event.
A year had passed since Aspinall won the interim belt by the time UFC 309 rolled around. He admitted some defeat, opting to defend the title at UFC 304. He became the second fighter to successfully defend the interim title in his division.
Aside from a 15-second loss due to injury, Aspinall has won and finished all of his UFC fights, fighting in the second round just once. He holds the record for the shortest average fight time at just 2:02.
Of the current top ten, he’s defeated the fighters ranked third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth, all within one round.
Yet, during UFC 309’s buildup, Jones explained he was looking for legacy-defining fights only, asserting that Aspinall was still a “nobody.” He also played the title defense card, saying that Aspinall’s resume was nowhere near his.
That’s no fault of Aspinall’s own — he hasn’t had the chance to fight for the undisputed title because of Jones’ antics.
When asked about potential future opponents, Jones mentioned light heavyweights Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill.
He would easily dismantle both on the ground, and seemed to ignore that Aspinall could very well be the most important fight for his legacy.
Winning a stylistically difficult fight against a larger opponent is impressive. Beating a striker from the division below is not.
Legacy aside, the responsibility of a champion extends beyond favorable matchups. The champion is obligated to unify the belt.
If anything, his reluctance to do so has only tarnished Jones’ legacy.
Jones is regarded by many as the greatest fighter the sport has ever seen, and he holds countless records to support the argument. In recent months, though, the discourse has picked up about other fighters’ cases.
He has failed two performance-enhancing drug tests and has been stripped of his title three times, once for a hit-and-run and twice for the drug violations.
UFC 232 was also moved from Las Vegas to Los Angeles because the Nevada State Athletic Commission would not be able to evaluate the situation in time to let Jones compete after trace amounts of a steroid were found in his system.
He was also the victor of one of the most criticized decisions in the sport against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247.
Jones has also critiqued Aspinall’s calls for a fight, claiming that he was an “asshole.”
Avoiding his top challenge has only fed the fire of his criticizers.
On the other hand, Aspinall has been more than respectful in his callouts.
“Hello, Jon. I have nothing against you personally, I just think I’m better than you,” Aspinall said on the mic after his UFC 304 victory.
He’s hinted at Jones’ avoidance of the fight, portraying Jones as a duck online and appearing at UFC London holding a rubber duck, but that’s the extent to which he’s gone — infinitely more tame than the backlash Jones is receiving online.
Journalist Ariel Helwani recently reported that Jones wants six months’ notice for the Aspinall fight, along with his previous demand for an absurd payday.
Jones is making a mockery of the championship belt, using his status to pick and choose his fights.
The UFC needs to provide him an ultimatum — retire or fight Aspinall.
Unfortunately, Jones has remained in Dana White’s good graces for some time, the CEO having been “working out the details” for an eternity it feels.
Aspinall has already wasted 18 months of his prime waiting on Jones, and it seems like he’ll be waiting until the fall, at a minimum.
It’s on the UFC to end this cat-and-mouse game and restore the prestige of the heavyweight title.
