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MMA Today: Tom Aspinall Calls Out UFC Brass, Jon Jones, Event Schedule

Get all of the headlines for Monday, Aug. 15.

Zain Bando

Pereira (IMAGO / Louis Grasse / PxImages), Jones (AFP)

Welcome back to MMA (and Boxing) Today, a weekly series in combat sports presented by MMAKO’s Zain Bando, which walks through the biggest stories in the sport that may have gotten lost in the shuffle over the weekend. This edition has something for everyone from UFC 305 Saturday night to the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson presser Sunday afternoon.

Without further ado, let’s jump right into the action as of Monday, Aug. 19.

Tom Aspinall To Release Video Regarding Next Fight, Jon Jones

UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall appears to be fed up with waiting around. Aspinall has caught wind of the UFC’s desire to book Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, a fight that has been delayed since mid-2021, instead of him vs.  Jones to unify the belts.

Aspinall took to social media to explain his rationale for believing he should be next in line, revealing that he is planning to make a video explaining it all.

“This week, actually, we've got a cracking video coming out,” Aspinall said. “We're going to clap back, clapping back... We're after Jon Jones. We want the Jon Jones fight around here. We're trying to make it happen. Fans want to see it happen. Everyone wants to see it happen. Apparently, according to Mr. Dana White, the CEO, the main dog, the best - not even mixed martial artist promoter - the best combat sports promoter ever is saying that Jon Jones is the pound-for-pound No. 1."

From Aspinall’s comments, it seems apparent that he doesn’t appreciate White singing Jones’ praises. While Jones has not fought in over a year, Aspinall won and defended the interim heavyweight title, becoming the first heavyweight to successfully defend an interim strap.

Jones’ targeted return date is Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York in what would be his first, and potentially final fight, in The Big Apple.

UFC Releases Event Schedule For Remainder Of 2024

In a rare announcement on the UFC 305 pay-per-view broadcast, the promotion laid out the pathway forward for the rest of its calendar year events, starting Aug. 24 with UFC Vegas 96 and ending with UFC Tampa Dec. 14.

The full schedule, which can be seen below, will feature five more pay-per-view offerings (including UFC 306), UFC APEX “Fight Night” cards through Nov. 9 and trips to France, China, and Canada along the way.

*Final 14 UFC events for 2024

Date

Event

Aug 24

UFC Vegas 96 - Cannonier vs. Borralho (UFC APEX in Las Vegas)

Sept 7

UFC Vegas 97 - Burns vs. Brady (UFC APEX in Las Vegas)

Sept 14

UFC 306/Noche UFC - O'Malley vs. Dvalishvili (The Sphere in Las Vegas)

Sept 28

UFC Paris - Moicano vs. Saint Denis (Accor Arena in Paris)

Oct 5

UFC 307 - Pereira vs. Rountree (Delta Center in Salt Lake City)

Oct 12

UFC Vegas 98 - Royval vs. Taira (UFC APEX in Las Vegas)

Oct 19

UFC Vegas 99 - Pereira vs. Hernandez (UFC APEX in Las Vegas)

Oct 26

UFC 308 - Topuria vs. Holloway (Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi)

Nov 2

UFC Edmonton - Blanchfield vs. Namajunas (Rogers Place in Edmonton)

Nov 9

UFC Vegas 100 - TBA vs. TBA (UFC APEX in Las Vegas)

Nov 16

UFC 309 - TBA vs. TBA (Madison Square Garden in New York)

Nov 23

UFC Macau - TBA vs. TBA (Galaxy Arena in Macau)

Dec 7

UFC 310 - TBA vs. TBA (T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas)

TBA

UFC Tampa - TBA vs. TBA (Amalie Arena in Tampa)

Note that main events and bout orders are subject to change, as not every card has been made final by the promotion at present.

Jake Paul, Mike Tyson Trade Barbs at Fanatics Fest

Yes, Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will thrown down on Friday, Nov. 15. There is no love lost between the two, even if they may have just the tiniest ounce of respect for one another.

Check out the heated face-off from yesterday below.

What’s Coming Up?

The UFC is back in Las Vegas for its final event in August as Jared Cannonier and Caio Borralho headline at middleweight, also crowning two new TUF winners to cap off season 32. In Washington, D.C., it’s the final PFL playoff card, featuring welterweights and featherweights Friday night beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with the Early Card, followed by the Main Card at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

UFC 305: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Free Live Stream Results & Highlights

Read More UFC & MMA News

• UFC 307: Khalil Rountree Calls Alex Pereira ‘Fight of the Year’, Replies to Ex-Champ

• UFC 307: Jamahal Hill Baffled by Khalil Rountree Jr. Title Shot vs. Alex Pereira

• UFC News: Champion Belal Muhammad Called Out for First Title Defense

• Noche UFC Secures Backup Fighter for Sphere Show, Official UFC 306 Poster Released

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

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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