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IMO, both Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall want the fight. If Jon really didn’t want it, he’d shut it down completely and say Stipe is his last. But the fact that he keeps things vague feels more like a calculated move. He probably noticed the Stipe fight was losing steam—not because Stipe isn’t elite (he absolutely is), but because Stipe doesn’t play the media game. He leans into the “I’m an old man” persona in big interviews, even though in smaller podcasts he admitted he was in great shape, confident, and ready with a heavier frame (247 lbs) specifically to outlast someone like Ngannou. He even mentioned how the octagon size affected his game plan in that loss and that he felt disappointed when Ngannou left as he was totally confident he'd get the 2-1 but that fighting JJ meant even more for him. He said though that he wants people to think he was old and weakened so his win would have a bigger impact (Jackson's podcast).
But the public perception is tricky, especially with Jon. Every little thing gets twisted to make it seem like he’s avoiding real competition. And since Stipe doesn’t hype himself, fans start doubting him. On the other hand, Tom does hype things up. He’s also elite, and the first signs of hesitance from Jones created this narrative shift—suddenly, people are convinced Tom’s the guy. And honestly, even if Tom ends up fighting Gane before Jones, it won’t hurt him. Whether he’s defending an interim or undisputed belt doesn’t change much in the fans’ eyes—most already see him as the real champ. In fact, if Jon retires, that may hurt Tom’s drawing power. Fighting Gane for a vacant undisputed title without Jon in the picture feels less meaningful.
Add to that the UFC’s current business uncertainty with ESPN, and it’s pretty likely IMO that both Tom and Jon are probably waiting for a better deal to maximize the payday. They’re both smart. Tom doesn’t just want the belt—he wants the moment. If he loses to Jon, it better be with the biggest bag possible. And if he wins, it needs to be at a time when the fight is at its peak value. I wouldn’t even be surprised if they’re coordinating a little behind the scenes, keeping up the "rivalry" as a way to build the fight WWE-style while the UFC negotiates its next big media deal.
At the end of the day, the actual belt matters less than the narrative. Tom defending the interim belt while Jon still holds the official one gives fans something to argue about, which ironically drives more hype than if the titles were unified and the drama ended. Tom knows this, Jon knows this, and they’re both playing the game. They know the current social media trend is also full of frustrated ppl that must hop on to things that are inconsequential to the online ppl's lives, but that get overblown as it's the new age and way of channeling their own frustrations with their in real life stuff.
But the public perception is tricky, especially with Jon. Every little thing gets twisted to make it seem like he’s avoiding real competition. And since Stipe doesn’t hype himself, fans start doubting him. On the other hand, Tom does hype things up. He’s also elite, and the first signs of hesitance from Jones created this narrative shift—suddenly, people are convinced Tom’s the guy. And honestly, even if Tom ends up fighting Gane before Jones, it won’t hurt him. Whether he’s defending an interim or undisputed belt doesn’t change much in the fans’ eyes—most already see him as the real champ. In fact, if Jon retires, that may hurt Tom’s drawing power. Fighting Gane for a vacant undisputed title without Jon in the picture feels less meaningful.
Add to that the UFC’s current business uncertainty with ESPN, and it’s pretty likely IMO that both Tom and Jon are probably waiting for a better deal to maximize the payday. They’re both smart. Tom doesn’t just want the belt—he wants the moment. If he loses to Jon, it better be with the biggest bag possible. And if he wins, it needs to be at a time when the fight is at its peak value. I wouldn’t even be surprised if they’re coordinating a little behind the scenes, keeping up the "rivalry" as a way to build the fight WWE-style while the UFC negotiates its next big media deal.
At the end of the day, the actual belt matters less than the narrative. Tom defending the interim belt while Jon still holds the official one gives fans something to argue about, which ironically drives more hype than if the titles were unified and the drama ended. Tom knows this, Jon knows this, and they’re both playing the game. They know the current social media trend is also full of frustrated ppl that must hop on to things that are inconsequential to the online ppl's lives, but that get overblown as it's the new age and way of channeling their own frustrations with their in real life stuff.
