I mean it's 100% on the UFC. They gave him the title shot in the first place knowing full well that aside from Gane the only one he wanted to fight was Stipe. They also pressured Hill and Jiri to give their belts up after just a few months but have allowed Jones to set the record for longest time a Heavyweight champion has taken between fights.
They moved a whole event somewhere else so that Jones could fight, they stopped counting picograms because of Jones and Dana even wants to get Jones' NC turned back into a win since picograms aren't tested for anymore. Then they change the 12-6 rule "that should have never existed" but way more ridiculous than that is Dana wanting the 12-6 DQ loss to be overturned now...
"Don't hate the player, hate the game" is fitting here ig. If the UFC wanted they could have given Jones the choice to either defend against Aspinall or vacate, instead they are fully backing him fighting a 42 year old that hasn't won a fight in 4 years.