Tom Aspinall fires not so subtle dig at Jon Jones after UFC legend retires and walks from multi-million-pound fight
BRIT Tom Aspinall has vowed to restore order to the UFC's heavyweight division after becoming undisputed champion without even throwing a punch.
The Wigan warrior, 32, was elevated from interim titleholder last Sunday after Jon Jones walked away from their multi-million-pound unification bout at Madison Square Garden in November.
4
Tom Aspinall has been elevated to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion
Credit: GETTY
4
Aspinall is the new undisputed king of the heavyweights following Jon Jones' retirement
Credit: INSTAGRAM@TOMASPINALL
4
The Wigan warrior made a not-so-subtle dig at Jones' inactivity as he broke his silence on his promotion
Credit: YOUTUBE@TOMASPINALL
MMA legend Jones, 37, has
He said: "I am going to keep this thing as active as possible.
"I want to be the best heavyweight to ever walk the face of the
Earth
.
"I'm gonna defend this thing as many times as I possibly can and I'm gonna keep you guys entertained.
READ MORE ON JON JONES
"I'm going to give back to everybody who has shown me support over the last year, over the last five years and over the last ten years.
"We're gonna see an active defending UFC heavyweight
undisputed
champion going forward."
Controversial American Jones, who was last week charged with fleeing the scene of an accident, retires as the youngest champion in UFC
history
and the greatest fighter in the history of the sport.
But
Most read in MMA
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS
4
He told SunSport: "Ultimately, I want to be the heavyweight champion of the world. It doesn't really matter about
Jon Jones
.
"It'd be
nice
, it'd be a lovely cherry on the cake to have the scalp and get that experience. I'm a massive Jon Jones fan, first and foremost.
Dana White confirms Jon Jones has retired from UFC with Tom Aspinall the new heavyweight champion
"It would just be awesome to experience that with Jon. But as Jon said, Jon said, 'Don't let me hold you back.'
'And when he said that, he came out and said that in an interview, I thought, 'You know what, he's right.' I'm not letting Jon hold me back."
Jones' retirement was followed by
news
that he was
A police report from the accident, which took place in New Mexico on February 27, states that a woman was found in the front passenger seat of one of the cars involved in the incident.
The woman, who according to the report was 'exhibiting signs of significant intoxication and lacking clothing from the waist down" claims that Jones was driver of the car and fled the crash on foot.
She admitted to taking mushrooms and drinking alcohol at the residence of Jones, who, when interviewed by police a few days later, claimed that she drove away from his house by herself while intoxicated.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Liam Delap ready to bring even MORE aggression to Chelsea front line after wild Nicolas Jackson red card
LIAM DELAP chose Rocky's hometown as the place to declare himself ready to rumble at Chelsea. Their 5 Liam Delap is ready to show his aggression in a Chelsea shirt Credit: Getty 5 Striker rival Nicolas Jackson was sent off for a reckless challenge at the Club World Cup Credit: Getty And he sits down on a comfy chair in the luxurious Jean-Groges restaurant on the 60th floor of downtown Philly's sumptuous Four Seasons hotel, looking immaculate in a box-fresh club tracksuit. But No player was booked more times than him last season with A dozen yellow cards as he walked the line for a team fighting for survival in the Premier League relegation zone. As many cautions as goals. READ MORE CHELSEA NEWS He is bringing that to his new club and has already shown glimpses of the aggression which is in his DNA. Refusing to cower to defenders, claiming a classy assist on his debut, throwing a football at the bowed head of Flamengo midfielder It's not boxing. It's not beanie-hatted Sly Stallone throwing right hooks into hanging slabs of cow in the meatpacking district, but it is the kind of centre forward fans love. And Delap is ready to deliver. He said: 'Yeah, I love those battles. I always have since I was a kid. I really love the aggressive side of it and the competitive nature of the squad. It's got to be controlled at times but it's my game ultimately and I enjoy it. Most read in Football JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 'I've always had that same edge as a kid and I'm not going to change the way my mindset is. You've just got to make sure you're on the right side of the edge. 'I played every sport in school. Anything that could get me out of a lesson. I just enjoyed the competitive nature of it, whether it was rugby or rounders. BBC pundit names England's long-term successor to Harry Kane after Premier League star's 'bullying' performance 5 5 'Last season was my first playing in the Premier League, playing with VAR so it's something that I'm going to have to get used to and work my way around to try and get less yellow cards. 'But it's not something I'm worried about. I think I can control my emotions when I need to. Maybe I'm a little bit old school but it is the way I play and I don't want to change it.' Juggling the actions of leading the line and getting into trouble is a difficult balancing act. Delap has been signed to put pressure on current Chelsea striker You could argue that they are two of a kind. Delap played a large part of last season with broken ribs to valiantly battle away for Ipswich when they were on the ropes. Centre forwards win people over by getting stuck in. Jackson was sent off four minutes after coming on in Friday's disastrous 3-1 defeat by Flamengo for Delap said: 'Everyone playing football plays close to the edge a little bit. You have to be aggressive, on the front foot all the time. 5 'I was right in front of it when it happened. It was so unlucky. He has obviously not meant to do it. These things happen in football and I am sure he will get over it. 'With the size of the club there's always going to be competition and I think players thrive off that competition. You're going to work that little bit harder and try to compete. 'It's Chelsea, it's going to be tough and it's going to be competitive. And that's what you relish.' Delap, 22, harbours ambitions to win big with his new club. He fits the club model of promising young player with plenty of potential. He has signed a six year contract and opted for the Club World Cup rather than Euro 2025 with England Under-21s as he looks to bed in. There's history with Chelsea head coach Delap said: 'I've got a good relationship with the manager. I know how he plays. I've played in his system before. 'I know a lot of the players here and the project of the club, how they see the future. That's what excited me. 'We've got a good core of English boys here. I've spent a lot of time with them. I obviously know a few people here already so I've been spending time with them. 'I've known Cole since I was 15, playing at City with him. I've got a good relationship with him so it was nice to see a familiar face. 'I had my sights set on the Euros all season and I was really looking forward to that. But I signed here and they wanted me to be here. I want to be here as well. I need to get to know everyone so that's why I'm here.' Ipswich turned to famous superfan Ed Sheeran to persuade Delap to sign for them last summer and leave behind 'I think he was heavily involved with Ipswich so it was nice to speak to him. 'It was just a token that Ed was really involved in Ipswich and a lot of people were close to him.' Chelsea had the simple magnetism of Champions League football - which means a bigger spotlight on him now. Delap said: 'I am just here to play football. I don't look at everything from the outside. I am at a big club now but my mind is strong enough to not let it affect me. 'It is hard to ignore at times but it is just how you take it and you can brush it aside and stay confident. 'I'm really excited. One of the reasons I started playing football was to play in the Champions League.' Join SUN CLUB for the Chelsea Files every Tuesday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Stamford Bridge
The 42
19 minutes ago
- The 42
Crystal Palace's European prospects improve after major shareholder sells stake
CRYSTAL PALACE'S HOPES of playing in Europe next season appear to have been boosted after shareholder John Textor sold his stake in the club. Textor's shares in Palace threatened to be an obstacle to their participation in the Europa League next season because the American is also a shareholder in French side Lyon, who are set to enter the same competition. It looked as though Palace would miss out due to the same Uefa multi-club ownership rules that cost Drogheda United their place in the Europa Conference League. Advertisement However, it's understood that Textor's 45% stake in the London club has now been sold to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. Reports have placed the price between €187 million and €222m (£160-£190m). The sale is subject to Premier League approval, but may now free Palace up to play in the Europa League. The Eagles qualified thanks to their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City last month. Textor, who through his Eagle Football Holdings group also owns a significant stake in Brazilian side Botafogo, initially invested in Palace in 2021. Palace declined to comment. Eagle Football Holdings and Uefa have both been approached for comment. It's understood a decision regarding Palace's participation is expected from Uefa before the end of June.
The Irish Sun
43 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Keegan Bradley set for Ryder Cup job that hasn't existed for 62 years after stunning PGA Travellers Championship win
KEEGAN Bradley is set to become the first Ryder Cup captain to play in the event in more than 60 years after denying Tommy Fleetwood his first PGA Tour win. Exactly a year after being handed the 6 Keegan Bradley celebrates with his son Cooper Credit: Reuters 6 Keegan Bradley celebrates after sinking the winning putt at the Travelers Championship Credit: Getty 6 Keegan Bradley reacts to making a birdie putt to tie the lead on the ninth Credit: AP 6 Bradley is a serial winner having won eight times on PGA tour Credit: Getty And Bradley, 39, admitted he is closer to selecting himself for the US dozen than at any stage since he took the role - setting up a potential Sunday singles rematch with the Southport golfer. Golf legend Arnold Palmer was the last playing captain when he led the US to a crushing 23-9 mauling of Great Britain and Ireland at East Lake, near Atlanta, in 1963. But Bradley, now up to seventh in the world rankings and ninth in the US Ryder Cup standings - the top six qualify by right and the captain will select the other half of the team - is ready to rewrite the recent history books. Bradley said: 'I never really planned on playing. I really wanted to just be the captain. READ MORE GOLF NEWS 'I really felt strongly about that. I want to serve the guys. 'They asked me to do a job. I want to do it to the best of my abilities. 'But this changes the story a little bit. 'I never would have thought about playing if I hadn't won. Most read in Golf BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 'But this definitely opens the door to play. 'I don't know if I'm going to do it or not, but I certainly have to take a pretty hard look at what's best for the team and we'll see. 'Looks like a skirt!' – Jason Day leaves US Open viewers in shock with outfit choice during practice round 'It's still June, so we've still got a long way to go. This definitely changes things a little bit, and we'll all get together and figure out the best way to do this. 'With the amazing vice captains that I have, and I have a better perspective of playing in the Presidents Cup and being around a lot of the guys, I feel a lot more comfortable if I went that route.' 6 He won the 2011 PGA Championship Credit: AP 6 Bradley turned professional in 2008 Credit: Getty Images - Getty
