Aspinall played this all wrong

[Poirierfan]

Tom played himself unless by some miracle the UFC throw $25-$30M at Jon and Jon actually accepts it.

They did throw big money at Jon and Jon did except the fight, then Jon backtracked on the deal (like we knew he would). The UFC knows this and was holding out to try and get Jon to agree again. Tom had his hands tied this whole time due to Jon and the UFC, it's that simple. The UFC and Jon put Tom on the shelf.

 

[fractal]

I don't know how you get I'm siding with Jon.

Once Tom figured out Jon was going to pussy out, he should have took measures to help himself. He could have vacated the title a year ago and had 3 fights since then.

You think wasting his time and sitting on a shelf is somehow beneficial if Jon is never taking the fight? Let's sit back and watch another year pass by.

Didn't mean you were siding with Jon, just surprised that anyone is.

But you want Tom to vacate the title?

Tom won it less than a year ago lol. It's been 6 months since Jon defended the title. Maybe he was expecting that Dana would do his job and strip Jon of the title. Or that he would pressure Jon in taking the fight. Or anything that didn't involve Tom being the only one to pay the price.

In an ideal world Tom would've fought Jon in early 2025. But clearly Jon and Dana had other plans.

Tom chose what he thought was the better option at that time based on the info he had. It's easy to look back and said he should've done this and that, but this is like saying oh someone broke into your house, maybe next time just leave the door open.

 

[Rampage_Jackson]

my point is, doofus, it would give him more leverage. instead of sitting on his fucking ass for a year, blending protein shakes in his kitchen on youtube. like who the fuck cares? no wonder no one gives a shit, he doesn't. it's a retard strategy and if he had brains, he would have spoken up a long ass time ago or done something. how is Gane a fucking threat, if he's so fucking great? that's just admitting this whole division sucks ass, and if Aspinall isn't even confident enough to beat Gane, then how the fuck is he going to beat Jon Jones?????????????????????

Make it make sense retards

I said I was going to stop ignoring people but jesus christ you are a useless moron huh?

 

[Human Bass]

Lol if you think Jones would not disdain anything Tom does. Jones saw Aspinall destroying 265lbs Pavlovich in half a round, Jones know he doesnt have the power and size to deal with him easily. The more Tom fights and destroys other fighters, the more Jones will duck

 

[mkess101]

i've siad this since day 1.

chandler played it wrong

aspinall also played it wrong.

OP is right, the ONLY leverage this dumbASS has, is to keep FIGHTING, and keep WINNING. anything else, his tweets, his lame ass work out videos, his lame ass persona, his lame ass "Oh I'm a british bloke, look at me ye fans," no one gives a fucking shit. UFC knows it, Jones knows it, the only ones that don't are ironically, the hardcores because they still believe. aspinalls ONLY leverage was to fight WAY MORE, to make it undeniable that his is the GOAT. instead he sits on a lame ass win over curtis blaydes, a YEAR ago. Make it make sense homie. Aspinall and his crew, UFC, are all to blame. But Aspinall first and foremost, because he should have had the fucking room reading abilities to see that this isn't how this fight happens. he's a doofus, he has no brains, and will get exposed in the future. 100%.

Tell us you're a retard without telling us.

Hey genius, which fights was the guy offered that he turned down? Or do you think he's the one that gets to set up fights? They publicly have stated they'd fight someone else but haven't been offered anyone. And we know that's true because if they'd been offered someone else, that person would be letting everyone know.

 

[snaportap21]

Tom played his cards right. He did not look like a duck, a fool for talking all that jibberish and not backing it up, and declining $30M just to show up. And the most important part, he did not lose his “legacy” whereas someone else lost all the credibility. Actually, that someone else lost all credibility since getting caught for PEDs not only once but twice. And his fans will continue to stay hugging onto his nuts.

It’s kind of hard to say Jon lost credibility because other fighters still consider him an all-time great. Until his peers turn on him, his legacy is just fine.

 

[SuperNerd]

I'm not gonna pretend I know how this shit works, but I dont think TS has a clue.

UFC wanted this fight.

They would have happily put Tom on ice to protect this bout, and they did.

The UFC was, naively, hoping for the best.

They weren't going to risk the most interesting fight in MMA, for Tom vs HW #2-5, that doesn't move the needle.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

Take your own advice.

Saying someone is wrong for not doing something that it isn't in their hand to do

Man you guys are just desperate to tell sherdog how retarded you are

retarded response

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

Tell us you're a retard without telling us.

Hey genius, which fights was the guy offered that he turned down? Or do you think he's the one that gets to set up fights? They publicly have stated they'd fight someone else but haven't been offered anyone. And we know that's true because if they'd been offered someone else, that person would be letting everyone know.

i'm a retard, but so are you.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

I said I was going to stop ignoring people but jesus christ you are a useless moron huh?

and you're the even bigger dumbass who keeps responding huh?

yes, you, the smart guy, constantly engaging with someone they deem a useless moron.

you're very smart.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

It's funny because Tom said himself he had no problem waiting last year May right before he fought Blaydes, saying he would sit out and wait until he gets his title shot...

Tom Aspinall says next fight after Curtis Blaydes has to be for undisputed belt: 'I'll wait it out if I have to'

May of 2024 Tom said that, Stipe/Jones was booked for Nov of that year...so Tom knew by saying that he would be out at least a few months after Nov, either for Jones needing some time after the Stipe bout or someone else.

I think the Jones haters and the Tom dick riders just can't admit Tom didn't really play this correctly.

That being said, by now the UFC should have stripped Jones so most of the blame that going on right NOW is UFC for not striping Jones and getting this division going again.

100%, people here are pretending ol poor little Tom Aspinall just been jerked around here now, poor fellow.

nah man, plenty of things could have been done to give him a far better negotiating leverage.

they 100% played this out wrong.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

also people will never admit when they're wrong.

same exact situation about chandler. i called it, he ruined his career sitting out for so long. but you still had people here thinking that "MaYb3, maybe, maybe" and the answer was no. and they'll never admit that they were clearly wrong about michael chandler sitting out. same thing with tom, this was a dumb strategy. and he should have spoken out way the fuck more instead of be little whipping boy. other champs in the past have been way more vocal over less. toms a dummy and so is his team, and if you disagree then enjoy his protein shake blending videos in the morning.

 

[mkess101]

i'm a retard, but so are you.

Maybe. But in one paragraph I showed why you are. Thus far you haven't provided proof as to why I am.

Not saying there isn't any, but you haven't shown it if there is.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

Maybe. But in one paragraph I showed why you are. Thus far you haven't provided proof as to why I am.

Not saying there isn't any, but you haven't shown it if there is.

 

[CombatCyborg]

Unless something happens this year that stops him from fighting, he only lost 1 year/2 fights off his normal schedule due to this thing and he defended a belt during that time.

I get why people are saying this but it's not bad yet, it will only get bad if it continues.
Once Jon's gone we could be looking at him fighting 3 times per year as champion, he could be the best ever by a wide margin by the end of 2027.

 

[93confirmed]

I agree. He should have kept referring to Jon as retired and himself as the undisputed champ. Maximum trolling and would have been a better play to lure Jon into a fight.

 

[mkess101]

Unless something happens this year that stops him from fighting, he only lost 1 year/2 fights off his normal schedule due to this thing and he defended a belt during that time.

I get why people are saying this but it's not bad yet, it will only get bad if it continues.
Once Jon's gone we could be looking at him fighting 3 times per year as champion, he could be the best ever by a wide margin by the end of 2027.

This is a solid point. Fight camps obviously take something out of guys, but given that A) He KO's guys inside a round and takes no damage and B) he doesn't need to do weight cuts...him fighting 3 times per year is absolutely doable.

 

[SuperAlly]

also people will never admit when they're wrong.

Yep.

Everyone in this thread still agreeing with the OP despite being shown repeatedly there was no other option to fight anyone else.

Clowns the lot of you.

 

[Alacran]

its amazing how people will twist their thinking to come to a conclusion they want. tom is intern champ, jones is champ. its that simple. tom already defended his interm title now you want him to defend it again? I am flabbergasted

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

Yep.

Everyone in this thread still agreeing with the OP despite being shown repeatedly there was no other option to fight anyone else.

Clowns the lot of you.

nah the idea that this path was the only thing tom aspinall could have ever done is bollocks.

it could have been handled very differently.