Latest news with #ALFReality
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Daniel Cormier: Jon Jones' ego will lead to Tom Aspinall fight happening
Daniel Cormier: Jon Jones' ego will lead to Tom Aspinall fight happening Daniel Cormier thinks UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones will end up fighting Tom Aspinall. Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is now the longest reigning interim champion in UFC history as his title unification bout with Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) still hasn't come to fruition. UFC CEO Dana White is "super confident" it materializes this year, but meaningful progress has remained slow. Cormier has had mixed feelings about the situation throughout this sage, and currently, he doubts Jones retires from competition before fighting Aspinall. "I don't know that he vacates without fighting him because I think the visual and the lasting thought would be that 'he ran from him,' and I don't know his ego could handle that he ran from someone," Cormier said on his "Funky and the Champ" show with Ben Askren. "The idea that people would think he is afraid means more to him than going out there and fighting him and taking the chance. "Especially when there's a real possibility that he just outclasses Tom Aspinall. You don't know. I think that he will fight him. I don't think they'll need to strip him, I think he'll fight him. He could walk away and go, 'I'm the best, I don't need to do anything else.' The idea that he ran is going to be too strong of a pull for him as he goes into the next phase of his career." Jones recently bragged about living his best life and is currently filming Season 2 of "ALF Reality," a Russian reality television show resembling "The Ultimate Fighter." He hasn't competed since defending his title in a TKO finish of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 last November. Despite being hopeful that Jones ends up fighting Aspinall, Cormier thinks he may be fearing the potential outcome. "You know what I think a big worry might be for him? With Aspinall, he could potentially get knocked out," Cormier said. "Like legitimately knocked out and put on his back and out cold. I just don't know he wants to have that visual of him in the world. Because I've seen myself get beat, and I'm like, 'God, that's such a horrible visual every time.'"
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Video: Nate Diaz, Jake Shields involved in wild brawl on Russian reality show
Video: Nate Diaz, Jake Shields involved in wild brawl on Russian reality show Unfortunately we only got part of the fight footage in Thailand but here I am breaking down what I have with Jon Jones and Nate Diaz — Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) May 21, 2025 Nate Diaz can add Thailand to his melee passport. During the recent filming of a Russian fight-related reality series, "ALF Reality," Diaz and his entourage engaged in a scuffle with one of the contestants. Diaz's longtime friend and training partner, Jake Shields, was also present and released video clips of the brawl on social media Wednesday. "ALF Reality" is a similarly-themed show to "The Ultimate Fighter." It's previous season featured Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan as coaches. This time, it was Nate Diaz and Jon Jones. "He's going to come over to Nate and start talking crap," Shields said in the narrated video. "Now he's talking to the boss. Right here he comes to Nate, and he starts saying, 'Oh, I'm a gangster,' kind of flashing Nate a little bit. You see Nate flash him back. That guy's running his mouth. I wasn't paying attention. I should've been. My fault. Luckily our guy Jose right there, he was watching. You can see him in the situation." The video shows a light physical exchange between Diaz and the contestant, as show-runners, fighters, and entourage members jump between. The physicality increased as the contestant appeared to take a couple shots before putting his fists up to seemingly square off with any and all comes. "Now the guy tried to spazz out and started acting crazy as people circled him," Shields said. "I didn't know this guy was known for fighting. ... Had I been smart and watched the show, I'd realized this guy has been constantly being in fights. There are videos of him constantly coming up and choking people from behind." Shields said the incident took place in a mansion, with multiple other rooms stemming off from where the melee took place. Diaz stood back, alongside Jones, as the contestant was restrained only for him to return moments later in a rage. Eventually, an Inside Fighting reporter grabbed hold of the irate contestant, who eventually charged and tackled the media member. Clips showed people pulling and pushing, grabbing and shoving as the brawl was sorted out. Shields, 46, shared video of him on the ground, being kicked and grabbed by the angry mob – which he says was not limited just to fighters. "They tried telling me that the fighters jumped me," Shields said. "But to me, it was very clear to me that it was the staff and the workers. That was one of those moments where I was like, 'OK, I better diffuse the situation because what you see there is just a small percentage of the guys who were there. There were over a hundred Chechen and Dagestani guys. So I was like, 'Maybe instead of trying to fight these guys on an excluded island or a beach, it's better to calm it down a little."
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Anthony Smith explains how Tom Aspinall is being played by 'master manipulator' Jon Jones
Anthony Smith explains how Tom Aspinall is being played by 'master manipulator' Jon Jones Anthony Smith thinks UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is playing mind games with Tom Aspinall. It's been a long wait for interim champ Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who's yet to get his title-unification bout with Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC). Although UFC CEO Dana White is confident that the matchup materializes this year, Smith advises Aspinall to stop provoking Jones. Aspinall has continuously accused Jones of ducking him, and Smith thinks his approach will only continue further delaying the matchup. Smith has first-hand experience fighting Jones after lost a unanimous decision in their 2019 light heavyweight title fight at UFC 235. "I have a lot of love and respect for Tom Aspinall, but if I'm Tom, I'm probably going to be a little quieter," Smith told ESPN. "I think that he's poking, and he's prodding, and he's trying to attack Jon Jones' ego a little bit, and force Jon into this ego competition where Jon says, 'I'm not afraid of you. I want to go fight now.' Jon is not going to do that. Jon Jones, in every single part of his life, has to be in control of it. Jon is a master manipulator, and he is a master at mind games that are behind this sport. He's been doing it for years against the best guys in the world. I understand Aspinall has this fighter mindset where he wants to say, 'I'm better than you, and you think you're better than me, so I'm going to keep attacking that.' "Jon doesn't care about any of that. The person who cares the least in every negotiation, wins. Jon Jones does not care what Tom Aspinall wants and, in fact, wants to do the complete opposite of what Tom Aspinall wants. If Jon and Tom want the exact same thing, then Jon doesn't want it anymore, and that's how Jon is going to operate. It's one of the most exhausting things that I've ever had to deal with, and I have to respect it. Jon is the master at emotionally and mentally exhausting people, and you can see it in Tom Aspinall a little bit already. He's starting to get tired." Jones recently bragged about living his best life as Aspinall continues to chomp at the bit. "Bones" is currently filming Season 2 of "ALF Reality," a Russian reality television show resembling "The Ultimate Fighter" where he's coaching opposite fellow UFC star Nate Diaz in Thailand.
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Duck'? Jon Jones says he's living his best life as Tom Aspinall's impatience grows
'Duck'? Jon Jones says he's living his best life as Tom Aspinall's impatience grows UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones made it clear that he remains unfazed by fans accusing him of ducking Tom Aspinall. Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) recently broke the record for the longest-reigning interim champion in UFC history as he still awaits a title-unification bout with Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC). Aspinall defended his interim title once with a quick finish of Curtis Blaydes last July at UFC 304, while Jones opted to defend against Stipe Miocic and won by TKO last November at UFC 309. Given his remarks in a recent Instagram Live session, it's safe to say Jones isn't feeling the pressure of fighting Aspinall. "I've got people in the chat calling me a duck," Jones said while apparently riding a motorbike (h/t ACD MMA). "Meanwhile, I'm living my absolute best life. I don't know if it's considered ducking when you're living good. I don't think it works like that." Jones is currently filming Season 2 of "ALF Reality," a Russian reality television show resembling "The Ultimate Fighter." He is coaching opposite fellow UFC star Nate Diaz in Thailand. Aspinall said in March he had a positive meeting with UFC CEO Dana White and UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, but an announcement has yet to be made on his fight with Jones. Aspinall is aware of how big of a risk he is to Jones' legacy but isn't sure he has the patience to wait around for too much longer. "When you put him in there with, and I'm not trying to blow my own trumpet, but I'm literally the most dangerous guy in the UFC if you look at the stats," Aspinall recently said on the "High Performance Podcast". "When you put him in with a guy of my size who has them credentials at this stage in his career, I think Jon's a smart guy, and he realizes that, so he wants to be compensated financially for it. I'm well bored of it (talking about Jones). I've had enough. We either need to fight, or I need to move on to do something else."
