A notable ex-rival of Jon Jones' believes the UFC heavyweight champion's interim counterpart "has all the weapons" to get the job done.
Tom Aspinall was crowned interim champ at UFC 295 last November after being placed in a short-notice matchup with Sergei Pavlovich. That bout came together after an injury to Jon Jones forced his planned defense opposite Stipe Miocic off the card.
With the presence of another titleholder, many suggested the promotion would look to book a logical unification showdown upon Jones' return. But both the Rochester native and the UFC have remained firm on plans to reschedule the Miocic fight.
After months of backlash from both Aspinall and the fanbase, the Brit will instead defend his interim strap at this weekend's UFC 304 pay-per-view, where a rematch with Curtis Blaydes awaits him in the co-main event.
Should he put in an emphatic performance on Saturday night, the likes of Daniel Cormier have theorized that pressure on the UFC to abandon plans for Jones vs. Miocic will only increase.
And if that potential "fan uprising" results in Jones vs. Aspinall for undisputed status, one fighter familiar to the former two-time light heavyweight kingpin thinks a loss could be on the cards for him...
Gustafsson Backs Aspinall To Get The Better Of Jones
During an interview with Top Offshore Casinos, Alexander Gustafsson spoke on Aspinall's rise toward the top at heavyweight and assessed how he would fare against the throne's current occupier.
The Swedish standout is well-versed in the game of Jones, having shared the cage with him twice, narrowly losing out to him in their Fight of the Year clash 11 years ago.
While he was ultimately unable to have his hand raised at the expense of "Bones" at 205 pounds, "The Mauler" believes Aspinall would have a great shot of doing so up in Jones' new weight class.
Aspinall is on fire right now and he is a very, very good heavyweight. I don’t see anyone beating Aspinall right now," Gustafsson said. "I understand why Tom wants to fight Jon, it’s because Jon is the GOAT, he is the biggest UFC star right now. If Tom was to beat Jon, it would be bigger than winning any UFC belt. The biggest achievement in the UFC right now is to beat Jon Jones. I understand why Aspinall is chasing the fight. I think he is ready for Jon. He’s on fire right now. If he fights Jon Jones, it should be now.
Yes, I think Tom will be too much for Jon. He has all the weapons to beat Jon. Jon hasn’t been that active, but he’s still the GOAT. You can never count this guy out, he’s so freaking good at what he does. He’s handled every opponent and everybody knows how good he is, but Aspinall right now, I see him as very dangerous for Jon," Gustafsson continued. "He’s dangerous on his feet, he’s fast, he has great footwork, and he’s a smart fighter. He has the tools to do good against Jon and even beat him. If they will fight, now is the time for Aspinall. He could go down as one of the best heavyweights ever.
Jones claims to see things very differently, however.
While some have suggested that his avoidance of Aspinall serves as an acknowledgement of the Brit's threat, the UFC heavyweight champ has instead claimed that the decision comes down to drawing power and relevancy, something he states the interim titleholder lacks outside of the UK.
And in terms of Aspinall's claim to being heavyweight's best right now, Jones suggested in the lead-up to UFC 304 that he wouldn't be surprised to see Blaydes finish him in Saturday's co-headliner.