Daniel Cormier thinks UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones will end up fighting Tom Aspinall.
Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is now the longest reigning interim champion in UFC history as his title unification bout with Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) still hasn’t come to fruition. UFC CEO Dana White is “super confident” it materializes this year, but meaningful progress has remained slow.
Cormier has had mixed feelings about the situation throughout this sage, and currently, he doubts Jones retires from competition before fighting Aspinall.
“I don’t know that he vacates without fighting him because I think the visual and the lasting thought would be that ‘he ran from him,’ and I don’t know his ego could handle that he ran from someone,” Cormier said on his “Funky and the Champ” show with Ben Askren. “The idea that people would think he is afraid means more to him than going out there and fighting him and taking the chance.
“Especially when there’s a real possibility that he just outclasses Tom Aspinall. You don’t know. I think that he will fight him. I don’t think they’ll need to strip him, I think he’ll fight him. He could walk away and go, ‘I’m the best, I don’t need to do anything else.’ The idea that he ran is going to be too strong of a pull for him as he goes into the next phase of his career.”
Jones recently bragged about living his best life and is currently filming Season 2 of “ALF Reality,” a Russian reality television show resembling “The Ultimate Fighter.” He hasn’t competed since defending his title in a TKO finish of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 last November.
Despite being hopeful that Jones ends up fighting Aspinall, Cormier thinks he may be fearing the potential outcome.
“You know what I think a big worry might be for him? With Aspinall, he could potentially get knocked out,” Cormier said. “Like legitimately knocked out and put on his back and out cold. I just don’t know he wants to have that visual of him in the world. Because I’ve seen myself get beat, and I’m like, ‘God, that’s such a horrible visual every time.'”
