Michael Bisping doesn’t think Jon Jones can stand with Tom Aspinall.
Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in just 69 seconds to capture the interim heavyweight title in this past Saturday’s UFC 295 co-main event. Aspinall currently averages the shortest fight time in UFC history at 2:10.
But Aspinall will have to wait before getting the opportunity to unify the heavyweight title. Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) vs. Stipe Miocic is expected to be rebooked, with Aspinall facing the winner. If Jones wins, Bisping hopes Jones sticks around for the title unifier, or it will be a bad look, in his opinion.
“The perfect plan for Jon Jones would be go to heavyweight, become the champion, beat Stipe who’s the greatest heavyweight, and then beat the No. 1 contender, or now as we have an interim champion,” Bisping said in a recent episode of his “Believe You Me” podcast. “I think if Jones doesn’t fight Tom Aspinall and he retires, we know what everyone’s going to say. I don’t even need to say it. So, Jones, I think his back’s up against the wall, if he beats Stipe, of course.”
Jones is widely considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, but Bisping stands by his fellow Brit. Aspinall has 11 knockouts on his resume – all in the first round – and Bisping sees Jones suffering a similar fate if the fight plays out on the feet.
“It’s never going to happen, I’m sorry,” Bisping said on Jones beating Aspinall. “I love Jon Jones, I think he’s incredible. If you look at it on paper, Jones has never been a knockout artist with his hands. He takes people down, he wears them down, he has master game plans.
“The fight IQ is through the roof. Taking Tom down? I don’t know. He’s a great wrestler, he probably could. He took (Daniel Cormier) down a couple of times. I think Tom could get back to the feet, but on the feet, I think Tom takes his head off.”
