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Why Jon Jones Demolishes Tom Aspinall in the UFC

MMAKO's Zain Bando breaks down the hypothetical heavyweight super-fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, why it needs to happen and why Jones should win (OPINION).

Zain Bando

539 days. That's the last time UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones stepped into the Octagon. Jones has yet to defend his heavyweight title. The big question remains, however, whether he has to.

Jones has been a pillar of the UFC's heavier divisions for quite some time, dominating light heavyweight for over a decade, and racking up 14 divisional wins before jumping to heavyweight in 2020.

Despite only fighting once since the onset of the pandemic, the New York native has consistently gotten praise from UFC CEO Dana White about his status as the greatest fighter in promotional history. While this may be the case based on statistics and overall longevity, it's hard to argue Jones is the best heavyweight ever without fighting the division's rising star.

Why Jon Jones beats Tom Aspinall
Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Aspinall defended his interim heavyweight title at UFC 304 last month in Manchester, England, only needing a minute to blitz Chicago native Curtis Blaydes as Jones waited in the shadows.

While the UFC is dead-set on seeing Jones fight former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, the MMA community sees it differently.

As the interim champion, Aspinall is the rightful No. 1 contender and a fighter who could become the Jones of heavyweight in the coming years. To do so, the best must fight the best; Jones and Aspinall are it.

Although there is hype surrounding Jones vs. Aspinall, if the fight were to happen, it would not be as competitive as people think.

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Why Jon Jones Would Run Through Tom Aspinall

People who are U.K.-based readers of MMA coverage may not be happy with this next statement, but Jones beats Aspinall within 15 minutes if they fight.

Fast Finisher vs. Experienced Veteran

For one, it is not a comparison when comparing their Octagon times side-by-side. Jones has been in title fight wars, including an instant classic 11 years ago against Alexander Gustafsson in a heavily debated decision amongst fans, fellow fighters, and the media.

Why Jon Jones beats Tom Aspinall
Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

On the contrary, Aspinall needs less than a round to dismantle his opponents, which doesn't give him the true championship edge people may think it does.

In addition, we know that Jones' gas tank is better than Aspinall's because of this documented fight time. He's been through the trenches of adversity, whereas Aspinall hasn't.

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Jones' Exceptional Resume

We can look at resumes to add to the growing disparity between Jones and Aspinall. Aspinall has not fought the number of Hall of Famers or former champions as Jones has. Names on Jones' all-time-great resume include Mauricio Rua, Gustafsson x2, Daniel Cormier x2, Stephan Bonnar, and many others.

On the other hand, Aspinall has fought no Hall of Famers, and the only former champion he's beaten was old man Andrei Arlovski.

It would take Jones making a mistake, being careless or trading with Aspinall on the feet for a new champion to be considered. Still, it remains to be seen whether or not the fight happens, but if it does, the world will be watching.

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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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