UFC icon Daniel Cormier explained why he thinks Jon Jones has not accepted a fight with Tom Aspinall.
Cormier, 46, boasted a long-running feud with Jones, 37, during his time in the UFC, which culminated in the pair sharing the octagon twice, losing once while the other was adjudged as a no contest due to Jones testing positive for Turinabol – an anabolic steroid.
Now, eight years on, Jones is the UFC Heavyweight champion but has not competed since he beat Stipe Miocic in November 2024.
Current UFC Interim Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has called for a fight with the 37-year-old, but no deal has been struck between the pair.
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"Now, I've been almost a year inactive with no prospects of anything apart from wait," Aspinall said on Demetrious Johnson’s podcast earlier this month.
"I constantly had little goals to work towards [during recovery from injury]. Whereas now it's just like: 'Just be ready and we'll just let you know.'
"It's kind of difficult mentally, but this is the fight against Jon Jones. The fight is another thing, this is the tricky bit where I really have to stay switched on, stay motivated, and I'm trying my best. It's tough sometimes."
Fans have even started a petition, which has over 140,000 signatures, in a bid to see Jones stripped of his heavyweight belt.
"Jon Jones is now the longest reigning champion in UFC heavyweight history and has only fought two times in that period," The petition reads. "There is a clear interim champion, Tom Aspinall, who has defended his interim championship belt.
"Aspinall is ready to fight Jones. Jones refuses to fight him. Therefore, we as fans must let Dana White know: It is time to strip Jon Jones of the heavyweight title. He clearly has no intentions of fighting anytime soon."
Yet no news has been reported about a potential fight, with some accusing Jones of being ‘scared’ to fight the in-form Aspinall.
Now, Cormier has explained why he believes the fight hasn’t happened.
"You know what I think a big worry might be for him? With Aspinall, he could potentially get knocked out," Cormier told Ben Askren on the Funky and the Champ podcast.
"Like legitimately knocked out and put on his back and out cold.”
He added: "I just don't know he wants to have that visual of him in the world. Because I've seen myself get beat, and I'm like, 'God, that's such a horrible visual every time.'"
Cormier continued: “I don't know that he vacates without fighting him, because I think the visual and the lasting thought would be that 'he ran from him,' and I don't know his ego could handle that he ran from someone."
Topics: UFC, Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, Daniel Cormier, MMA
Luke Davies