News White to Aspinall: Defend Interim Title or Sit on the Shelf. You Don't Get Jones.

[Captain Herb]

Dana White: Tom Aspinall not fighting Stipe Miocic or Jon Jones next

Dana White won’t strip UFC heayvweight champion Jon Jones as he sits sidelined with a recent injury.

www.mmafighting.com

“No,” White answered when asked if Aspinall could fight Jon Jones. “And we’re not stripping Jon Jones either...(It) ain’t happening,” White said. “Stipe, you have to understand this, if you look at what Stipe’s accomplished in this sport, what he’s done, where he’s at in his career, he wants the Jon Jones fight“ [Miocic] wants Jones and Jones wants Stipe, so it makes sense.” If Aspinall wants to fight before that fight happens, why not? Why not let him defend it (the interim title)?”


How little will this fight matter? How much of a casual will you need to be to buy this fight? Are you even interested in this fight a year from now? It only hurts Jones' legacy to duck the Interim Champ to fight Stipe. It doesn't help him at all.

 

[priester]

Think Dana must've made some weird deal behind the scenes with Jon/stipe because only those 3 people care about the fight

 

[OldBoy91]

They are shooting themselves in the foot. Nobody besides Dana, Jones and Stipe cares about that fight.

It doesn't even make sense business wise. Who gives a fuck about their legacy when both are going to immediately retire and leave the company anyway?

 

[Mmmmmmma1234]

UFC gonna UFC. They rebooked Almeida vs blaydes instead of a true number one contenders battle of Gane vs Almeida. 100% they're pressuring Aspinall into the defense vs Gane now maybe Paris' first ppv in the summer.

 

[sdpdude9]

It is clear Dana and the UFC see Jones vs. Stipe as the most profitable option and they will do whatever to make it happen. People in here saying nobody cares, but they’re names the casual audience recognizes and that’s who they’re targeting. Wish they would drop the sports entertainment approach but it’s not going to happen.

 

[IDL]

Aspinal should defend his fake belt just so when he finally fights for the actual belt we can hear Bruce

"REIGNING, DEFENDING, INTERIM HEAVY WEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!"

 

[mangokush]

Guess Tom will sit out then until the UFC either makes the unification bout between Tom & Jones or the UFC strips the belt from Tom

The UFC's obsession with Jones vs Stipe is just another bag fumble for the HW division

No one cares about the fight except the UFC and Jones

 

[Arm Barbarian]

Bald Goof up to his usual baldgoofery.

Determined to have Roid boy vs Stipes cadaver, no matter what.

 

[samuelsoncast]

I WANT TO SEE MIOCIC FIGHT JONES.

But not for the belt ffs.
Holding up Aspinall's potential legacy for wolf tickets.

Just sell it as a retirement fight.

Greatest UFC HW in history vs Greatest LHW in UFC history.

 

[svmr_db]

Lies, Dana didn't say anything about a shelf!

 

[JoeRowe]

UFC 302, June 8th in the UK, Aspinall vs Gane, England vs France.

(301 in Brazil, Pereira in the main event)

 

[Mammothman]

Good, I want Jones to get a legacy fight vs Miocic and both retire.

Aspinal can go ahead and defend the belt against the winner of Almeida vs Blaydes, if Blaydes wins Aspinal he have the opportunity to avenge his loss.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

This guy doesn't know how Dana works and this is his UFC... Either fight or Gane vs Almeida / Blaydes will be for the interim belt...

 

[Captain Herb]

Aspinal should defend his fake belt just so when he finally fights for the actual belt we can hear Bruce

"REIGNING, DEFENDING, INTERIM HEAVY WEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!"

Absolutely, he should call Dana's bluff and defend it 2-3 times before Jon's old-timer's fight with Stipe. No-one won't think it's not actually the real belt. He'd make a fool out of Jon and Dana.

 

[jk7707]

I hope either Jones or Stipe gets injured again before the fight so this obsession blows up in Dana's face.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

UFC gonna UFC. They rebooked Almeida vs blaydes instead of a true number one contenders battle of Gane vs Almeida. 100% they're pressuring Aspinall into the defense vs Gane now maybe Paris' first ppv in the summer.

I doubt Gane wanted that fight.

 

[theleerygoose]

Dana being loyal for a change and gets heavily panned for it on Sherdog. More news at 6.

 

[Streeter]

Stipexwant no part of a Young killer like Asounal and he shouldn't at his age n career stage. Bones has nothing to gain taking the fight only a lot to lose. Bones would be stupid taking it (though I think he wins even now). Stipe is the most successful UFC HW champion n the UFC HW goat. He's a name and a great final fight win n likely a fairly easy fight .

 

[Pechan]

Pathetic.

 

[frederick]

Any fight besides Aspinall or Jones makes 0 sense. If Jones refuses then he should be stripped.