Ex-UFC Heavyweight Champ Cain Velasquez Shares Pick for Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall

Velasquez is considered by some fans to be the greatest heavyweight in UFC history.

Andrew Richardson-Imagn Images

One of the greatest heavyweights to ever step into the UFC Octagon has shared his thoughts on a potential fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

Cain Velasquez Breaks Down Jones vs. Aspinall

Combat sports fans have been clamoring for the return of the sport’s leading promotion ahead of this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas 2 in Las Vegas, but one of the biggest storylines in 2025 is whether or not the promotion will be able to get a Jones vs. Aspinall matchup on the books.

DWCS Contract Winner & Surgeon David Martinez Books UFC Debut in Mexico City

Already considered by many to be MMA’s GOAT after his stellar run as the UFC’s light heavyweight champion, Jones made his long-awaited heavyweight debut at UFC 285 and made short work of Ciryl Gane to win the division’s vacant title.

Jon Jones fights Ciryl Gane of France in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 285 event at T-Mobile Arena. / (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

A planned matchup with two-time heavyweight king Stipe Miocic at the end of 2023 fell apart when Jones suffered a pec injury that kept him sidelined for an extended period, which led to the UFC creating an interim heavyweight belt for UFC 295 that Aspinall claimed with a first-round knockout against Sergei Pavlovich.

Jones finally returned in November and defeated Miocic after Aspinall defended his interim title against Curtis Blaydes in July, and now former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Valesquez has shared his thoughts on how a matchup between the two heavyweights might play out.

Official UFC 312 Poster Showcases Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 & Zhang vs. Suarez

“I don’t think [Aspinall beats Jones],” Velasquez told Ariel Helwani. “To me just watching him, I kind of see his pattern a little bit in his striking, the way he comes in and strikes. I think Jon sees it too, so I think with that – just ‘cause, again, Jon studies man, he does his homework. He’s a master at this. He analyzes things, he studies you over and over again. I think just for that reason, he’s gonna know what to do. So I don’t think he beats Jon, no.”

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) fights Stipe Miocic (blue gloves) in the heavyweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Aspinall is undefeated in the UFC outside of a 15-second injury TKO in his first meeting with Blaydes in 2022, and despite boasting an impressive 100% finish rate in his wins Velasquez argues that Jones will be too well-prepared to get caught the way the Englishman’s previous opponents have.

"The simple fact is the way Tom, the way he comes in and fights, he does have a pattern that’s somewhat easy to find…A lot of things come with that, it’s disguising your pattern, throwing fakes here and there before, but when he comes in with attacks, he comes in and attacks. It’s a hundred percent, full go. He comes in, glides in, lunges in, and does his attack. Not that it’s not effective, it is. He’s done great things with it. I mean look where he’s at now, not to take anything away from him. No, I mean he is [good]. But I think with the type of guy that Jon Jones is, I think he studies him and he beats him because of that.”

UFC Champion Alex Pereira Shares Video of Sparring Session with "Fighting Nerds" Star

Nov 11, 2023; New York, NY, USA; Tom Aspinall (blue gloves) reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

“Bones” remained staunchly opposed to the idea of a title unification bout with Aspinall leading up to his fight with Miocic at UFC 309 but softened his stance in the immediate aftermath of the event, and recently UFC commentator Joe Rogan claimed that negotiations for the matchup are ongoing.

More UFC & MMA News

• Vadim Nemkov Added to Road to Dubai Champions Series, Nathan Kelly Gets New Opponent

• BKFC Loses Crossover Fight: ‘Kimbo Slice Jr. Is Afraid of TikTok Dancing Bryce Hall'

• Arman Tsarukyan on Facing Islam Makhachev at UFC 311: ‘Belt Motivates Me, Not Him'

• Anthony Taylor on Boxing Darren Till: ‘If You Want to Kick, I’ll Kick Back’

Stick with MMA Knockout for more daily coverage of the UFC, MMA, and Boxing.

Follow MMA Knockout on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.