Brown: Jones vs. Aspinall Makes More Sense Than Pereira Showdown

Matt Brown isn’t completely against the idea of Jon Jones making his return to the Octagon when the UFC hosts an event at the White House next year, but he would prefer to see him fight for a title rather than take on Alex Pereira.

After reclaiming the light heavyweight championship he lost earlier in the year with a win over Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 on Saturday, Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) made it clear to UFC President Dana White that he wants Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) next.

While a bout between “Poatan” and Jones would undoubtedly be a massive fight, former UFC welterweight Matt Brown believes “Bones” should instead face the man who succeeded him as heavyweight champion — Tom Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC).

“I still think he should still fight Tom Aspinall,” Brown said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “I don’t know which is really a bigger fight. I know (Pereira’s) a bigger star, but Jon Jones is big enough to carry whatever fight that he comes back to. If it’s Tom Aspinall, he’s fighting for the heavyweight title now and that makes it as big of a fight as if he’s fighting Alex Pereira just to be fighting Alex Pereira, I think.”

Aspinall held the interim heavyweight title for over 18 months while patiently waiting for his opportunity to face Jones in a title unification bout. After dragging his heels, Jones eventually vacated the belt and announced his retirement — only to make a U-turn once news broke of next year’s gala event at the White House.

Given how that situation unfolded, it’s unlikely the UFC will have much appetite to book that fight again. However, Brown has been viewing the scenario from a more optimistic perspective.

“If I’m the UFC, personally, I take the risk with Tom,” Brown said. “If Tom loses, the heavyweight division basically already sucks. He loses, it sucks a little bit more and Jon Jones is so great that we can’t find a heavyweight to beat him either. If Tom wins, it brings an entirely new spark to the heavyweight division and the heavyweights are the sellers. Every combat sport in history, everybody wants to watch the heavyweights.

“Tom, if he’s able to go out and secure a victory, he is the baddest man on the planet. He also happens to be well spoken, a good dude that is able to stay out of trouble — so far at least — gets the job done and is a fairly marketable guy. I think there’s more upside.”