Do you believe Jon Jones is obligated to fight Tom Aspinall?

[mkess101]

Buddy, I do seem to understand that. Yes, they probably DO lose more credibility, so there is pressure on them to actually pony up and pay, commensurate to what athletes in similar sports make for similar level title fights (not raw dollars, but as a percentage of the money generated overall). They lose just as much credibility if they keep losing their legitimate champs who get there without having an "interim" belt conjured out of the bullshit ether, because they refuse to pay them as champs.

So, as I said, it's complicated with a lot of moving parts, so your pretense that it's just some take it or leave it, out of the gate, with Jones having an obligation to take it, and the UFC not having an obligation to do their part because "they can do what they want" is absolutely dumbing it down.

They jumped other people over the top contenders plenty of times when fights can't come together. Look at the long, long list of champion fights where the guy competing for the belt is not the #1 contender, and they get to arbitrarily declare who the #1 contender is.

But, since we're talking about living in reality, let's get rid of the nonsense about a champ being stripped of the belt when he just fought a few months ago. The actual belt was just defended. The division is not on hold.

No, you still do NOT understand. The UFC doesn’t care about their credibility with you or I. People that post on a forum, we're gonna watch anyway. They care about casuals. That's where the $ comes from. And casuals are "out of sight, out of mind". You and I may think them letting Ngannou walk hurt their credibility, but casuals don't think about him at all because the UFC controls the narrative and they pretend he doesn't exist! But they can't do that IF they still have both Jones and Aspinall in their organization but Jones is ducking him again and fighting someone else! You're simply a fool if you think the billion dollar corporation won't control the narrative if the fight isn't made. They'll tell the casuals how to view it, and for the most part that will become gospel to them.

I'm not sure if you think it makes you look smart or that you have better insight by repeating "It's complicated, Lotta moving parts, blah blah blah"...but it really doesn't. The UFC will negotiate with Jones EXACTLY as long as they think it benefits THEM financially. That's it. They know it's a big $ fight, so yes they'd like to make it. But they won't cave to allowing Jones to take less $ to fight someone else (barring an Aspinall injury). That won't happen. And the fact you brought it up shows just how little you do seemingly understand what's happening here.

So because you want to claim all this nuance, I'm going to simplify it for you. There are three and only three realistic potential outcomes barring injury:
1. Jones fights Aspinall
2. Jones retires
3. Jones is stripped for indecision and Aspinall fights someone else for the undisputed belt. And then Jones can decide if he'd want to come back as a challenger.

3 is least likely, I understand that. But it's WAY more likely than the fantasy that they skip over a healthy Aspinall for someone else.

Let it sink in, because the above IS reality.

 

[FloydMayweatherMMA]

I don't think he has to fight Aspinall, he should just be stripped if he opts to fight someone else.

 

[Tweak896]

He just defended a few months ago. That restarts the clock on "holding the belt too long."

You can't bitch that he's been inactive when he just fought. More recently than Aspinall has, at that.

That's a good point. The reason it was so long because he had a normal training camp for Stipe the first time, then got injured and had to heal, then had another training camp to fight him. Which afaik is the first time Jones had an injury to defend his title. Cruz would disappear a year at a time because of constant injuries. As bad as it's whined about here, Jones is within normal defense time.

Actually since defending the belt against Stipe (Nov 26th), let me list what belts haven't been defended after Jones. WW (July 2024), WMMA BW (Oct 5th 2024), WMMA FLW (Sept 2024). And there are many others that took a year to touch or longer than the wait between Stipe to potentially Aspinall.

 

[dc007]

Yes but I have no issue with any fighter wanting to negotiate what they're worth.

 

[Thy]

I don't think he has to fight Aspinall, he should just be stripped if he opts to fight someone else.

I really don't care who fights who, as long as no rematches and people actually fight, strip them if they don't

 

[Thy]

Yes but I have no issue with any fighter wanting to negotiate what they're worth.

Fighters who don't fight aint worth a damn to me. Never really cared about how much they make or the popularity content. I just like seeing fights happen sooner than later.

 

[Thy]

He just defended a few months ago. That restarts the clock on "holding the belt too long."

You can't bitch that he's been inactive when he just fought. More recently than Aspinall has, at that.

almost 6 months ago. meaning even if he books a fight now, it prolly won't happen for another few months which means it'll be like 9 months in between his last fight. but since he hasn't booked a fight yet, this could mean over a year. We'll see, all i know is i like watching fights. when fighters don't fight, it's like a tv series delaying their next season. Kinda sucks.

 

[Team SerJoe]

You guys need to consider this from a negotiation perspective. Also take in mind that Legally the UFC has to offer fighters under contract 3 fights a year.

With that in mind it’s clear the UFC catered to Jon to set up the Stipe fight. This gives the impression that they are scratching his back, which in turn justifies them asking something of Jon that isn’t favorable in hopes he considers the favor they did for him, in this case fighting Tom Aspinall.

The interim title fight was set up so that the UFC can always promote the interim and strip Jon if he refuses those 3 offers. More negotiating power for the UFC.

All UFC has to do is keep offering Jon the Aspinall fight and eventually it will work itself out. But they will ONLY offer Tom unless Jones vacates or accepts.

To answer the question, No Jon isn’t obligated.

 

[FloydMayweatherMMA]

I really don't care who fights who, as long as no rematches and people actually fight, strip them if they don't

I like there to be some logic behind the fight being made, such as a contender deserving to fight for a belt or even something as simple as two fighters with complimentary styles. Otherwise the UFC isn't really a promotion, they're just filming random people having a fight.

To be honest, a lot of the APEX cards kinda feel like that anyway.

 

[USA!USA!]

I'm a fan of Jones as a fighter and I think if he doesn't fight Aspinall he needs to drop the belt.

He can fight whoever he wants, but if its not Tom, drop the belt.

Tom is 100% in the right here and is willing to be active. If you can't, give up the belt and then fight for the title when you are ready.

This all seems incredibly simple to me.

 

[empsim]

Of course, how could the champ not be obligated to fight the interim champ and clear #1 contender?

The second he said he'll only fight Stipe he should've lost the belt.

 

[KO Shotz]

He's not obligated to do anything. But when you are the champion you're supposed to line them up & knock them down. Jon has always done that his entire career up to this point, & it saddens me that he's not being the champion he used to be for many years. & this is coming from a Jon Jones fan.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

No he is not whatsoever. Thinking it’s on him to vacate and not the UFC in any part is retarded

It's on both of them. You're acting like because the ultimate responsibility on what happens with the belt, that means it's their  sole responsibility, and everyone else is absolved of any accountability. The UFC  could strip at any time and move on, but that is a final option and as long as they think there's any possibility they can make the fight, then they will try to. So if we're arguing that we're at the point of no return and the fight will never happen, then yes, the UFC is at fault every second they don't strip him. But until that point, Tom and the UFC are both trying. And maybe the UFC isn't trying "hard enough," but in that case, the blame is shared between them and Jon. Either that, or are they are making a concerted effort and the blame is on Jon

 

[orca]

why would he be obligated
if porier a journeyman can pick his retirement fights why would jon cant lmfao

ive seen jons haters say even if jon gave up the HW belt and figjt pereira before he doesnt deserve it
but journeymen like porier can pick any retirement fights he wants
crazy right

 

[Oldman1]

so 10% of sherdog are UFC employees

 

[snaportap21]

Is he obligated being the official champ to fight the interim champ?

I think being the champ you have to have professional obligation is to fight the next best guy in line.

There is no excuse for him to fight someone else besides him.

If he doesn't fight Tom, he either has to vacate or retire.

As the champion he is. There’s no question about it.

 

[Lionheart7167]

Jones is waiting until he has broken the record for longest title reign at HW, then he promptly retires.

Calling it right now.

 

[TempleoftheDog]

As the CHAMPION he has been given a freebie defence against Stipe. That fight should have been scrapped. Not rebooked after Stipe was yet another year removed from fighting.

But be 100% needs to defend against Aspinall, or vacate. There are no other acceptable alternatives. That should have been the one option you seemed to leave out of the choices.

Because no. Nobody ever has to fight anybody. But you can’t duck the IC for over a year and a half.

You screwed the pooch with your choices. It’s either yes, or no. But you left out the most important part.

 

[Meathead Jock]

Not obligated to fight him but drop the belt and stop pretending.

 

[CieloLuce]

If he wants to remain the champ he has to fight Aspinall.

I put down no because he is not obligated to do so, but he has to drop the belt.