Written by Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Like most in the MMA community, Ben Askren doesn’t understand why Jon Jones’ first title defense will be against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.
The matchup was rebooked for the promotion’s return to Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, nearly one year to the date of their initially scheduled booking — which was scratched by Jones suffering an injury. Askren, a past UFC competitor, wants to see the best fighters facing the top of the division, and if it were up to him, it would be Tom Aspinall getting the shot.
“I want to see him fight Tom Aspinall, it doesn’t appear to be happening,” Askren told Daniel Cormier. “It really sucks. It sucks that I have to speak against Stipe because I have nothing against him, I actually speak about Stipe favorably, but he hasn’t fought in forever. I just don’t understand.
“I know he’s had great results, but it’s been four years, or something. Tom Aspinall’s been out on these streets beating everyone up, I would love to see Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones, and honestly, [Francis] Ngannou is somewhere else also, so this is a case where you’re just not getting to see the best guys fighting the best guys and it sucks. Maybe we’re spoiled.”
Miocic hasn’t competed since losing the heavyweight title when he was brutally knocked out by Ngannou at UFC 260 in March 2021.
Jones will return to the octagon for the first time since winning the heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane via first-round submission at UFC 285 in March 2023 — which will be just his second appearance since his win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020.
Aspinall has competed six times since Miocic’s most recent outing, going 5-1 with all finishes, with the lone loss coming via knee injury in his UFC London main event matchup with Curtis Blaydes in July 2022. Aspinall has since won the interim heavyweight title, and defended it successfully against Blaydes with a first-round finish at UFC 304 in July.
Askren continues to wonder why the UFC continues to go back to the Jones vs. Miocic matchup when he feels Aspinall is the far more compelling option.
“Tom Aspinall has proven that he’s this guy, and Jon Jones has been — well he’s been kind of actively fighting — not super active,” Askren said. “But why can’t we see them? We want to see them [fight], they’re both there, put them together.”