Jon Jones says it is “more than likely” he will not fight Tom Aspinall if he continues his UFC career – saying he would rather take on Alex Pereira.
American Jones, 37, defends his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on 16 November in New York, but has recently hinted at retirement.
Manchester fighter Aspinall is the interim champion and will be back-up fighter at UFC 309, but Jones has dismissed the possibility of an imminent match-up should he continue to fight.
“I feel like Tom Aspinall is, I don’t want to say nobody, but he just hasn’t proven anything. He hasn’t done anything,” Jones told Kevin Iole.
“I’m not here to gamble someone else making a name off of me.”
Jones suggested he would take on two-weight champion and current light-heavyweight title holder Pereira if he continued his octagon career.
A long-time champion at light-heavyweight, Jones believes the Brazilian would be the perfect “legacy” fight.
“If there were to be a fight of a guy that’s still on our UFC roster that would be not only financially worth it but legacy worth it, it would be Alex Pereira,” Jones told Iole.
“Alex Pereira and I, we’re both 37 years old. Right now I weigh about 235lb.
“I’m an incredibly light heavyweight. I think Pereira walks around at 240lb.
“I think that fight would go much farther on my legacy than a young man who’s cool today and maybe gone tomorrow.”
The comments come after UFC president Dana White said he believed the winner of Jones versus Miocic would want to fight Aspinall.
Miocic, 42, is the underdog against Jones, despite being a two-time heavyweight champion.
“Just competitively, the way that these guys are wired and the reason that they’re both massive legends in the sport, they’re not going to just ride off into the sunset without settling the dispute with Tom Aspinall,” White told TNT Sports.
