We could definitely see what would happen if Jones actually fought past Stipe. Unfortunately, we have the chance brothers- Slim and None. Jones is most definitely not going to do that, so IMO it is a moot point.
Aspinall's performances in his last several fights have been beyond reproach. You kind of expose yourself as someone that doesn't really get MMA by dismissing Pav based on something that happened over 5 years ago. You do this whole MMAth bit of why Pav actually sucks based on this ancient fight, and therefore Tom's win is meaningless. You do know fighters improve, right? Everyone can have their own opinion as to who will win in the future, but as logic goes, this is a pure lol.
Aspinal's record is what it is, very thin with an odd loss to Blaydes when he was dancing around, and tripped and tore a ligament and tumbled in the octagon. His performances are what the HW division has become, which is a lack of actual deep divisional talent. Thus the reason why Jones made Gane look easy and why Gane panicked when jones got the submission on him. Gane paid the price of inexprience. Gane was not out wrestled by jones, Gane tapped out of fear when jon got that submission clamped on him early, and looked like a frightened deer. These young kids have not really been tested.
Aspinal is exactly where he needs to be, behind Stipe and should wait. If jones wants to grant him a fight so be it, if not, the kid can fight another contender.
No one said Pav sucks, I think he is a good fighter. What was said was that he lost to an old elite with an exceptional ground game. Thus proving that the old guard and those with no chins can still beat this crop of HWs, including Stipe at his old age.
The problem here is not that Pav lost but that he is a Greco Roman Wrestler and showcased none of that on the ground with Overeem. It is not about improving but the view that Pav did not utilize his grappling in this important moment. Like Gane, when faced with a dangerous grappler who knows what he is doing and is very exprienced, he panicked. Rather than use his wrestling to get Overeem off him, he turtled up when a vet, who was stronger than Pav, got his hands on him on the ground.
So the question is how good are these kids and should a vet in Jones teach another class. That is what it will come too. The young kids trying to out muscle the vets without the actual technical skill, experience, or fight IQ that we usually see in the old HW division.
