The potential fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall is the biggest talking point in the UFC circuit. Every fan of the sport wants to see how Jones would hold against a significantly younger and hungries fighter. There are no doubts on Jones’ ability to put on another clinical performance to further cement his legacy.
However, at this stage of his career, he is rightfully picky with his fights. Despite all the negative rumors, Dana White is confident that the fight is bound to happen. It’s only a matter of “when and where” that’s holding up the official announcement. Amidst the ongoing discussions, Michael Bisping recently added his two cents to the discussion.
A rumor has been floating around recently where it’s being said that Jones wants six months to prepare for the Aspinall fight. Reacting to the rumor on his YouTube channel, Bisping said that why Jones needs six months is beyond his understanding. He said, “Training camps don’t take six months.”
As per Bisping, two months are sufficient for a training camp. Even in some cases when fighters go through pre-camp, they take a total of three months to get ready for a fight. He said, “Six months is a very long time. Half a year. You don’t need six months, okay? There’s not a lot going to change.”
“At 37 years old, with Jon Jones having one of the greatest careers that we’ve ever seen, essentially undefeated. Beating all these different styles along the way, multiple generation of contenders. Beating a lot of champions along the way at their own style as well, you can’t criticize Jon Jones’ career,” Bisping added.
Where did the Jon Jones rumor come from?
There’s no smoke without fire. So, the rumors floating around might have some truth to them. The six-month claim might be exaggerated, but it can’t be ruled off entirely. Especially because the rumor first came from Ariel Helwani, a longtime fan of the sport and a reliable source for all things fight business.
On an episode of The Ariel Helwani Show 10 days ago, Helwani talked about the six months angle. He stated that the Jones vs Aspinall seems to be slipping away because the 37 year old wants so much time to prepare for the fight.
He said, “The clock is ticking on that one. I was told that Jon wants six months to prepare if the fight is locked in. And what’s six months from now? September? It feels like, the summer, if that is the goal, it’s starting to slip away a little bit.”
If Jones’ demand is actually true, then the MMA community is rightly confused. Taking six months to prepare for a fight when one is 37 years old and has fought only twice since February 2020 isn’t going to be good for the promotion. Aspinall will surely not wait for six months and if another exciting fight comes his way, he will pounce on the opportunity.
Prateek is a seasoned content writer with over 2500 published articles and two+ years of experience. His passion for UFC was ignited during Conor McGregor’s meteoric rise, and closely following McGregor’s journey inspired him to bring a sharp, fan-driven perspective to his UFC coverage, blending detailed analysis with compelling storytelling.
