If President Joe Biden could effectively be removed from this year’s election, so too can Stipe Miocic from his upcoming UFC title fight.
At least that’s how Tom Aspinall sees it.
While nothing is official, UFC CEO Dana White has made it abundantly clear that Miocic will challenge heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and the expectation is that the fight will headline UFC 309 in November at Madison Square Garden. However, many UFC fans and pundits believe that Aspinall should get the shot at Jones. The sentiment gained even more traction after Aspinall dispatched Curtis Blaydes in Round 1 to defend his interim heavyweight title last month at UFC 304.
The quick and dominant victory from Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) was a statement that he deserves to unify the title with Jones rather than former champ Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC), who turns 42 on Aug. 19, receiving a title shot off a loss to Francis Ngannou in March 2021.
“Get Stipe out of there,” Aspinall said in an interview with TNT Sports. “Let’s be honest. Like, the guy is (almost 42) years old, he’s had a four-year layoff, and his last fight was a knockout loss. Granted, he’s an absolute legend in this sport. He’s the best heavyweight ever statistically. But the guy needs to be pulled out of the race.”
For Aspinall, the comparison that really drives his point home is Biden, whose mental fitness was called into question after the 81-year-old’s disastrous debate with Donald Trump in late June. Biden’s performance caused high-profile Democrats to pressure Biden to drop out of the presidential race, which he did.
Aspinall would like to see a similar situation play out with Miocic.
“The guy needs to be Joe Biden’d, mate,” Aspinall said. “He’s too old. No one’s that interested anymore. I respect Stipe a lot. Pull him out, stick me in. It’s right, though, isn’t it? It is right. Get Joe Biden out of there, stick me in.”
"The guy needs to be Joe Biden'd, he's too old"
Tom Aspinall says Stipe Miocic should pull out of his fight with Jon Jones
Watch Tom Aspinall’s Fight Lab: #UFC305 edition, with @AspinallMMA, @ugomonye & @AdamCatterall on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ on Sunday at 5:30PM pic.twitter.com/OA99wzZWMw
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) August 9, 2024
As much sense as Aspinall’s suggestion might make, it seems unlikely to happen given White’s steadfast opinion that a fight between Jones and Miocic has to happen because of legacy. A fight with Miocic is also what Jones has wanted all along.
Jones and Miocic were slated to headline UFC 295 last November, but Jones tore his pectoral muscle with under a month until fight night. That prompted the UFC to create an interim title on short notice, which Aspinall won at UFC 295 by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich.
While Aspinall appears unlikely to outright get a shot at Jones, White said he could serve as the UFC 309 backup and step in should anything happen to either Jones or Miocic.
