UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall didn’t get the opportunity to unify the title at UFC 309, but he was cageside to watch Jon Jones defend against Stipe Miocic.
The main event of the penultimate UFC pay-per-view of 2024 took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, topped by a heavyweight title bout billed as a GOAT vs. GOAT showdown.
Aspinall, who weighed in as an alternate and would have much rather been competing in that main event fight against Jones, had to settle for watching cageside. His candid reactions and live commentary were captured on “UFC Front Row” as the fight unfolded.
As he looked on, Aspinall offered immediate thoughts on the fight and how both fighters could have made adjustments.
“Stipe needs to get a bit on the front foot for me,” Aspinall said. “The minute, he’s just letting Jon Jones walk him down.”
Aspinall even offered a bit of sideline coaching advice for Jones, which ended up coming to fruition to end the fight.
“Jon’s been southpaw for most of the fight, which is unusual,” Aspinall said. “Good kick. You know, if I was Jon, I’d work the kicks a little bit more.”
Bang. A few seconds later, Jones dropped Miocic with a spinning back kick to the body.
“Impressive,” Aspinall said. “… Good shot selection from Jon. Very smart guy.”
Check out the full video above.
