And Aspinall would be making enemies with his promoter. He has a bright future, I wouldn't want to break his relationship just to beg for a Jones fight he may not get. Let Dana do that for you after the Stipe fight. If I'm Tom I defend that interim belt before Jones and Stipe to remind everyone that he is the active guy who is the true champ. My 2 cents but Aspinall should not do anything to offend the UFC here.
Aspinall is the current interim champ, with 4 top-10 wins with 4 performance bonuses in his last five fights. He should be fighting to unify the titles and avoid risky fights with Gane, Blaydes or Almeida. Tom should do what's best for Tom, and not what the UFC wants to suit their own agenda. What's the worst that will happen? Dana will get pissed off and force him into a fight against someone else? Even furthers the narrative the the UFC is trying to orchestrate champions.
It makes zero sense for Aspinall to risk defending the Interim belt while Jones and Miocic are both on the sidelines until they can fight each other first for the regular belt, just to then have Aspinall (or someone else if he loses the interim title) fight the winner of Miocic/Jones to unify the two belts. It makes a mockery of the division and rankings to do this. Two different champs defending two different titles against different opponents? Dumb as shit, and sounds more and more like wrestling or boxing.
Jones can't fight? Fine. Strip the belt and give it to Aspinall, Aspinall fights Gane or Blaydes to keep the division moving on, and Jones fights whoever holds the belt when he's ready to return. Miocic won't fight anyone other than Jones, and at 42 years old and 3 years removed from his last fight, I and not sure he even ever fights again. Even with a freak win over Jones, I still don't see Stipe ever defending that title either. Give the division some legitimacy, and not be held up for a work. The UFC is giving Jones his easiest possible opponent, not the top contender, and it's bullshit. Everyone knows it. Aspinall and the media should be pushing the Jones fight hard.
I respect your opinion on not wanting to make enemies with the one who gives you work, and that would make sense in a normal work environment. But the "good guy, be the bigger man, trust in the rankings" routine only gets you passed over in this era of the UFC. I am not saying Tom should outright draw a line in the sand and he won't fight anyone other than Jones or else, but he should certainly be lobbying for the Jones fight.
