A petition to strip Jon Jones of the UFC heavyweight title already acquired his endorsement when he joked that he hoped the web effort ended up with 200,000 signatures, however in actuality, he in all probability doesn’t care a lot about these calls to remove his championship.
That’s in response to veteran UFC play-by-play man Jon Anik, who was requested in regards to the petition that’s been gaining curiosity as delays in reserving Jones towards interim champion Tom Aspinall have dragged on for months. Aspinall went thus far as to congratulate Jones on his retirement and crown himself the undisputed heavyweight champion, regardless that neither are literally true.
Jones remains to be holding onto the belt, and he’s constantly teased his return to motion, which is why Anik doesn’t purchase that the fighter many think about as the best of all time is sweating some on-line petition.
“So I feel a struggle between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall is greater if they’re each champions,” Anik mentioned through the UFC 316 pre-fight press convention. “I’m hopeful they’re going to struggle in December in Las Vegas. I’ve no inside info.
“However I don’t know that Jon Jones actually provides a rip in the event that they strip him of the heavyweight championship. He’s nonetheless going to struggle Tom, hopefully, and it’s nonetheless going to be a bag.”
It’s arduous to argue with Anik’s logic, particularly contemplating the way in which Jones has repeatedly laughed off requires him to get stripped of the UFC heavyweight title.
Add to that, Jones nonetheless holding onto the belt after which going through an interim champion like Aspinall, provides the UFC a straightforward promotional device to construct what may find yourself as the most important struggle in heavyweight historical past.
So far as timing goes, Jones teased only recently that he’s been sworn to secrecy regarding the UFC’s plans for him and Aspinall, whereas the British-born heavyweight has repeatedly mentioned he hopes to listen to an announcement quickly relating to his future.
With the UFC already beginning to plan for occasions into August and September, it appears unlikely that Jones and Aspinall will meet earlier than the ultimate few months of the 12 months, however there are nonetheless loads of choices obtainable.
As Anik talked about, the UFC is predicted to shut out the 12 months with an enormous occasion in Las Vegas, after which November usually serves as the house for a pay-per-view card at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York — the identical location the place Jones vanquished former UFC heavyweight king Stipe Miocic this previous 12 months.
There’s no telling when the struggle may really get scheduled, however UFC CEO Dana White has constantly promised he plans to ship Jones vs. Aspinall someday in 2025.
