Although Jon Jones will most likely be booked to fight Stipe Miocic next, his rivalry with Tom Aspinall is also heating up on the sidelines. The interim UFC heavyweight champion is eager to unify the belts, requiring him to face the winner of Jones vs. Miocic.
Aspinall has bagged 15 wins since turning pro in MMA, and all of them have been stoppages via KO or submission. On top of that, he's finished all but one fight in the UFC in the first round. This explains why fans consider him to be Jones' real test instead of Miocic, who hasn't fought since losing to Francis Ngannou in 2021.
Aspinall has looked unstoppable till now, but Chael Sonnen has concerns about him not being tested enough in the Octagon yet...
Chael Sonnen Highlights Striking Similarities In Early UFC Careers Of Tom Aspinall And Ronda Rousey
Sonnen discussed the rivalry between Aspinall and Jones on his YouTube channel recently. He believes that the interim champ bringing up the undisputed kingpin's past PED usage was bound to rub the latter the wrong way.
"The American Gangster" then stated that a fight between "Bones" and Aspinall, if it happens, will likely be scheduled for UFC International Fight Week in 2025. It might be hard for Aspinall to get an opponent during this time as the interim champ, and his inactivity would work in favor of the former UFC light heavyweight champion.
Sonnen also revealed the downside of Aspinall firing through the competition with such ease so far. His rise to the top resembles Ronda Rousey, who had 11 first-round finishes in her pro career, including five in the UFC.
I'm not sure you understand that. That is not helpful, that is not a good thing. It looks good and it sounds good, it's not good! When you find yourself in a fight harder than you're used to, it's a problem for everybody. It is the number one reason that Ronda lost to Holly Holm. It was not the right leg kick. It was because the six other girls that Ronda had been in there with checked out collectively in a shorter time than Holly had made it. That was the problem. It's a problem for everyone. There's nothing you can do about it.
According to the former UFC middleweight title contender, Rousey lost to Holly Holm because she wasn't used to opponents surviving her initial onslaught. As soon as someone put her to the test, she was overwhelmed and it all came crashing down.
Sonnen fears that Aspinall might have similar problems if he takes on an opponent as durable and experienced as Jones. For now, though, there is no way to confirm whether we'll ever see the two meet in the Octagon.