OPINION: Jon Bones Jones is rattled

UFC fighter Jon Jones runs away from Tom Aspinall’s requests to fight

Gabriel Adams and Ryan LeVan

Aug 26, 2025

Mixed Martial Arts – UFC – Alexander Volkov v Tom Aspinall – O2 Arena, London, Britain – March 19, 2022 Tom Aspinall celebrates winning his fight against Alexander Volkov Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

REUTERS/via SNO Sites/PETER CZIBORRA

Jon Jones is a well-known and ruthless fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and has held many champion belts and put many bodies to the canvas in brutal ways. One would think he’s an unbeatable fighter who doesn’t get scared.

And yet he has run away with his tail between his legs from one man, Tom Aspinall.

Aspinall is a fighter many people are starting to consider to be one of the best of all time, especially since he is scaring Jones himself. His career started on Dec. 13, 2014 against Michał Piszczek, winning by first-round technical knockout. From his start to present day, he has beaten some other big name fighters in the fighting world like Alexander Volkanovski who is an amazing striker, another good fighter who was beaten by Aspinall was Sergei Pavlovich by a knockout in round one.

Jones, on the other hand, is a two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, a two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and boasts the most title fight victories in UFC history. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UFC, Dana White, tends to fanboy over Jones and is often accused of favorability. He seems to be very happy to see Jones back in the genetic testing pool.

Aspinall has called Jones out on numerous occasions but his response has always been to shut them down in fear of losing his positions and fame as the “GOAT” of the UFC. For a part of Jones’s career that’s what he was, most people saw him as the best fighter to ever walk into the cage. Then Jones started to get into some legal issues and then started to run away from Aspinall’s call outs, which started to heavily diminish Jones’s reputation as a fighter.

Jones has been ducking Aspinall for two years going as far as retiring for two weeks then rejoining the business.

According to Bleacher Report Jones said about Aspinall, “He’s annoying to me. He’s annoying to me and that’s my own personal—he annoys me. I get it you guys find it entertaining, but I find him annoying. I just don’t like him and at the end of the day, if I give him the opportunity to fight me, I want to be so compensated… That’s just what it is. Or else my life is perfect without him. I don’t need him at all and he needs me and that’s a good place to be in a negotiation.”

For Jones, a UFC Hall of Fame member, to be ducking a man like Aspinall, how could that be a coincidence? He is avoiding him point blank. All of this is not to discredit Aspinall. Aspinall is a fantastic fighter and clearly that’s proven by the fact of how scared Jones is of him. Jones says a lot that it’s “for the money” but what the fans want to see is Jones v. Aspinall and that will bring in more money then another title fight.

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About the Contributors

Gabriel Adams, Staff

Gabriel Adams is a Junior at Mcintosh and a new addition to The Trail’s staff. Adams competed in The Law’s Of Life event and he has future plans to achieve the world title in the UFC (Ultimate Fighter Championship). Until then he practices Muay Thai, reads, mountain bikes and hangs out with friends. His approach to Journalism is both insightful and straightforward. His desire is to keep informed of the events that impact our way of life. He was one of the staff members who won a best of SNO.

Ryan LeVan, Multimedia

Ryan LeVan is a Junior at McIntosh and a is serving his second year on staff. LeVan is very passionate about things such as family, friends, pets and fitness. LeVan’s specialty lies in photography, holds a GSPA superior rating and has extensive experience in nature and sky photography and videography. LeVan is on the McIntosh wrestling team and an advocate for personal fitness and training. He also is a Life Scout in Scouts BSA and is currently working on his eagle project. LeVan has won multiple awards in scouting. LeVan’s ambitions for the future include attending “ICE Culinary School” and obtaining a Masters Degree in business to ideally open and run his personal restaurant. LeVan is excited to have the opportunity to succeed in The Trail as a Multimedia Staffer and to help teach any less experienced staffers how to be successful in journalism and more specifically photography.