Even in the limited action we saw, it wasn't the dominant clinic for Aspinall that some hype suggests, and it sure as hell doesn't elevate him above these all-time greats. I'll lay it all out here, fight by fight, stat by stat, and achievement by achievement, so we can see why Aspinall isn't worthy of that Jones superfight while Pereira laps him in belts, versatility, and proven greatness.First off, let's address the Gane comparison head-on, because that's the crux of that post you quoted. Yeah, in the brief 4:35 of UFC 321 (October 2025) before the double eye poke ended things, Aspinall landed about 3 fewer significant strikes than Gane overall, and sure, he edged out in head strikes (per early UFC Stats breakdowns showing Aspinall at roughly 51% head strike accuracy vs. Gane's 26%, with Aspinall connecting on more clean shots up top). But calling that "evenly balanced" or proof Aspinall was "smoked" is revisionist history at best. The fight was just heating up—Aspinall was pressuring with his trademark blitzes, closing distance, and landing those crisp head shots that have folded lesser heavyweights. Gane was countering effectively with body work (hitting 30% there), but it was far from a rout; ESPN and Yahoo both noted it felt like Aspinall was gaining momentum before the foul. Contrast that with Jon Jones vs. Gane at UFC 285 (March 2023): Jones didn't "strike with" Gane like the post claims to downplay it—he toyed with him. Jones landed 16 of 25 significant strikes (64% accuracy), including elbows and knees in the clinch, before dragging Gane down for a guillotine choke at 2:04 of Round 1. Zero strikes exchanged on the feet for long because Jones dictated the pace with superior wrestling and IQ, finishing Gane without breaking a sweat. Aspinall's willingness to stand and bang is admirable, but it's also his Achilles' heel against elite grapplers—exactly why Jones has zero interest in risking his legacy on a stand-up war with someone like Tom, who could clip him early. Jones loses on the feet to prime heavyweights like Gane or Ngannou?
Maybe in a pure kickboxing match, but in MMA, his fight IQ turns those matchups into ground-and-pound clinics. The post's "nonsensical" jab at comparing the fights ignores how Jones adapts; Aspinall just overwhelms with athleticism, which works against mid-tier guys but hasn't been tested against true GOAT-level chess players.Now, zooming out to why Aspinall isn't "as good" as Jones or Pereira: Start with the resumes. Jon Jones is the undisputed blueprint for MMA dominance. At 28-1 (with that one DQ loss to Gustafsson overturned to a no-contest), he's the youngest UFC champ ever (beating Shogun Rua at 23 for the light heavyweight belt in 2011), holds the record for most title wins (15), most defenses (now 12 after his TKO of Stipe Miocic in November 2024 at UFC 309), and longest unbeaten streak (17 fights, per UFC records). He's beaten five former champs in a row—Rampage Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, and Daniel Cormier (twice)—plus hall-of-famers like Vitor Belfort and Quinton Jackson. Jones moved up to heavyweight and claimed the belt in his first fight there, submitting Gane in under three minutes, then defended against Miocic with a vicious spinning back kick TKO in Round 3. His versatility is insane: 10 knockouts, 7 subs, elite wrestling (84.5" reach, Greco-Roman base), Muay Thai striking, and BJJ black belt. Sure, he's had off-octagon drama—PED flags, legal issues—but inside the cage, he's untouchable. Aspinall? Solid 15-3 record (1 NC), but those three losses (two pre-UFC submissions in BAMMA to guys like Stuart Austin and Lukasz Parobiec, one quick injury TKO to Curtis Blaydes in 2022) show vulnerabilities in grappling and durability that Jones has never had. Aspinall's UFC run is impressive—8-1 with finishes in all wins, holding the record for shortest average fight time (2:18)—but it's against a softer heavyweight field: knockouts of Andrei Arlovski (washed at 42), Alexander Volkov (sub at 3:45, but Volkov gassed), Marcin Tybura, and a rematch KO of Blaydes in 60 seconds at UFC 304 (July 2024). Becoming undisputed champ after Jones vacated in early 2025 is cool, but one defense attempt (the NC vs. Gane) doesn't scream "better than Jones." The post's "multiple recent actual losses" dig? Aspinall's last loss was 2022—hardly "recent" or "multiple," and the Blaydes one was a fluke knee injury at 0:15. But it highlights his fragility; Jones has fought through wars (Gustafsson I, Cormier I) without folding.Shifting to Alex Pereira—your point about him being better than Tom and earning more belts is spot-on, and it's why Pereira's the one who should get a crack at Jones if/when he un-retires, not Aspinall.
Pereira's 13-3 UFC record is a masterclass in crossover dominance. From Glory Kickboxing (where he held middleweight and light heavyweight titles simultaneously, the only guy to do that, with KOs over Israel Adesanya twice), he stormed MMA: Won the middleweight belt in his fifth UFC fight (TKO over Adesanya at UFC 281, November 2022), defended once (UD over Sean Strickland), then moved up to light heavyweight, snagged that belt with a wild last-second KO of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 (November 2023), and defended it three times in one calendar year (2024)—KO of Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, KO of Prochazka rematch at UFC 303, and TKO of Khalil Rountree at UFC 307. That's six title fights, four wins, two divisions conquered—the ninth fighter to do it, first in middleweight and light heavy. Shortest time for three defenses? 175 days, smashing Ronda Rousey's old mark. His power is nuclear (10 KOs in UFC, including Adesanya's chin), with 57% striking accuracy, and he's added ground game (subbed by Israel in their 2023 loss, but avenged it). Losses? Early kickboxing carryover (decision to Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291), a sub to Adesanya when rusty, and a recent TKO to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 (2025), but that's one blemish in a streak of nine straight UFC wins before it. Pereira's beaten elite strikers (Adesanya x2, Prochazka x2, Hill) and shown adaptability—clinches, takedown defense (85% in title fights). Aspinall has zero title defenses completed, one belt (heavyweight, post-vacancy), and no multi-division cred. Pereira's won more belts (two undisputed UFC straps vs. Tom's one) and defended more times under pressure.
If Jones wants a legacy fight, it's Pereira's knockout power vs. his grappling chess—styles make superfights, and that's electric. Aspinall vs. Jones? It's a coin flip on the feet where Jones could get tagged, but Tom's unproven ground game (tapped by Volkov briefly in 2022) makes it too risky for Jon without the payout incentive.As for the Ngannou angle in your opener—yeah, Jones moved to heavyweight eyeing that monster matchup, but Ngannou bolted to PFL/boxing after UFC contract drama (he wanted out of a "trap" deal, per his own words in 2024 interviews). The post spins it like Jones "ran" from Ngannou or Aspinall, but history says otherwise: Jones demanded Deontay Wilder-level money (8-10 million, as he tweeted in 2021) because Ngannou's power threatened his 0, and UFC lowballed both sides. Ngannou himself blamed UFC greed in 2023 ("We both were asking for it"), not Jones ducking. Jones didn't vacate to avoid heavyweights—he won the belt outright. Aspinall benefits from that vacuum but hasn't earned the stripes to call it his birthright over Pereira, who's stacking defenses while Tom's still building (and nursing that eye from Gane).Bottom line: Aspinall's explosive, but he's a highlight-reel machine in a division that's been rudderless since
Jones cleared out the old guard. Jones is the GOAT with records that might never break; Pereira's the active destroyer with more belts, more defenses, and scarier striking. Tom gets there with wins over top-5 guys like Pavlovich or Volkov in decisions (not just 1st-round blasts), but right now? He's not better, and he's not worthy of jumping the line. That agenda-driven narrative? It's the Aspinall hype train ignoring substance for sizzle
