UFC interim Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has given his take on the viral meeting between himself and UFC Heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
The two were in attendance at the Arnold Classic in Birmingham and Aspinall decided to drop by the area in which Jones was doing a meet and greet with fans. The short meeting between them was captured and instantly exploded on social media, with it marking the first time they had met face to face.
In an interview with JNMEDIAUK, whilst in attendance at Cage Warriors 168, Aspinall discussed the meeting. He said:
“It was good mate. I wanted to , you know, we're at the same event, obviously, it makes sense for me to, we've got the interim champion and the undisputed champion at the same event. It's a bit weird that there's an undisputed champion, interim champion, because undisputed means no one can dispute it. But if there's another champion, I don't know.
“It's a little bit weird the way it works. But yeah, it was good. It was good, mate. We had a little chat. It was all good.”
As the two men shook hands, Aspinall opted to place his hand on Jones’ shoulder at which point ‘Bones’ glanced down removed the interim champions hand. As Aspinall explained, there was no malice in the gesture, he was simply trying to be friendly.
“I think he saw I was putting my hand on his shoulder being disrespectful, but I wasn't. I was doing it. I wasn't there to be disrespectful, mate. I was doing it in a friendly way. I didn't want to, I'm not trying to like cause no beef. I'm trying to fight the guy and take his belt. That's what I want. I've no beef against the guy and yeah. Just wanted to meet him. Just friendly. Nothing crazy.”
There was already a lot of buzz surrounding the potential match up and the meeting at the weekend has further added fuel to the fire. However, Aspinall is not getting carried away with the idea of competing against Jones, and with the Jones vs Stipe Miocic fight appearing to be the option all parties involved seem the most excited to explore, the 31-year-old admitted he would not be shocked if the contest never came to fruition.
“I'd be very, very surprised if me and Jon Jones ever steps in the Octagon together. I'm trying to get the fight, but I'm not like trying to get it realistically, you know what I mean?
"I'm trying to have a bit of fun and see what he's all about. Like today, I don't expect a fight to be off the back of this because in all honesty, I don't think the UFC is going to go for it and I don't think Jon Jones is going to go for it either. So I'm not deflated at all because I wasn't expect the fight anyway.”
If not the Jones fight, the Atherton man is more than happy to explore other options and would very interested in looking to face the only man to hand him a loss in the UFC, albeit through injury.
“Curtis Blaydes it is then. I am easy like I'm the most, I am the easiest person ever to entice into a fight. Like I've never turned one down yet, so, you know, it wasn't anything that's stopping me from fighting right now. It's not down to me, it's down to the UFC. So I'm just waiting for the UFC to let me know who and when and I'll be ready.”
There has been much talk surrounding a potential UFC card in Aspinall’s home town of Manchester in the near future. He would relish the opportunity to face Blaydes in his home town and look to rectify the only loss on his record.
“That'd be nice because I have one blemish on my UFC record where a lost through injury to Curtis Blades nothing personal against Curtis but professionally, I want to get one back. Do you know what I mean? I don't want to have a loss on my record to anybody. So obviously I want to get it back. I want that fight.”
