Latest news with #TomAspinall
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TUF is cooked, Tom Aspinall trolls Jon Jones, troubling BJ Penn news, more May 30, 2025
TUF is cooked, Tom Aspinall trolls Jon Jones, troubling BJ Penn news, more | The Craic | May 30, 2025 Petesy Carroll is joined by Uncrowned's Ben Fowlkes and Drake Riggs to discuss the return of the Ultimate Fighter and whether the series is past its expiration date. Plus, conversations about the continuing Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall saga, troubling news about BJ Penn, and more.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Dana White told to strip Jon Jones of UFC title after his controversial comments as Tom Aspinall left in limbo
DANA WHITE has been urged by UFC fans to bite the bullet and STRIP Jon Jones of his heavyweight title. A massive unification fight between Jones and his interim counterpart Tom Aspinall has been on the cards since last November but has still not come to fruition. 5 5 5 That's despite the UFC brass' willingness to break their pay structure and meet Jones' demands to be paid " F**K YOU MONEY" for the bout. Former pound-for-pound king Jones has infuriated MMA fans over the last few weeks with his umming and ahhing over the prospect of retirement. And he left fight fans on tenterhooks again this week during a rare sit-down interview. During an interview on Deepcut with VicBlends, he said: "I don't know what life holds as far as fighting and competing. "I do feel like I'll be a lifelong martial artist whether I'm coaching others or taking exhibition matches and things like that. "There's a lot of great competition still in the UFC. I do view myself as more than a fighter. "Being in my position, I feel like I have a lot more options than a lot of the other fighters as far as the ability to leave and return. "And so right now I'm just focusing on love, happiness, kindness. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 5 "We're at the quarter-century mark, and this year should be a really special year." Jones' comments immediately drew the ire of UFC fans around the world, who took to social media to vent their frustrations. Jon Jones Blasts UFC Rival Tom Aspinall In X-Rated Rant One said: "Strip him already, make [Ciryl] Gane vs Aspinall in the UK. "We've had enough of this. Enjoy your retirement [and] if you want to come back, you'll have to fight Aspinall anyway." Another said: "He took 3 years off to 'prepare for Heavyweight'. How much time does he need? STRIP HIM!" And another said: "Strip him of the belt and let him come back and fight for it when he's ready." One remarked: "If he doesn't know, then I'd say he's done. Shame Dana can't compute that." Another chimed in: "UFC is a total joke for not stripping him and giving Aspinall another fight to defend his title. "If Jones [has] quit and let the UFC know about it, then the UFC has to move on. "If Jones wants to fight and is just delaying, the UFC needs to give him a date and tell him to f**k off if he says no. "This entire situation is causing irreparable damage to the UFC brand because people are getting turned off by the constant lies." Jones has been accused of ducking Wigan warrior Aspinall since his maiden defence of the heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 last November. Fans' patience with the Hall of Famer has worn extremely thin, although he insists he's not leading them on. He recently wrote on X: "Y'all barkin' up the wrong tree. I told the UFC my plans a long time ago. "I have no clue why they haven't shared them with you guys yet." Jones' insistence that White and Co. know his plans came just DAYS after the UFC bigwig GUARANTEED he'd return to the octagon this year. He told Adam Glyn: "Jon Jones will be fighting in 2025. 100 per cent." 5
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Aspinall shares petition for UFC to strip Jones of belt
Tom Aspinall is continuing his campaign to fight for the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship by sharing a link on Instagram to a petition urging the promotion company to strip Jon Jones of his 32, has been interim heavyweight champion for 18 months and was passed over by Jones as his opponent for his injury comeback last November, with the 37-year-old fighting Stipe Miocic months later, Manchester's Aspinall has repeatedly said he is unsure if he will fight Jones UFC fans have tried to take matters into their own hands by setting up a petition, with more than 150,000 people calling for Jones' title to be taken off from Thailand this week, Jones has continued to keep his cards close to his chest regarding his future."I don't know what life holds as far as fighting and competing," Jones said on DeepCut with VicBlends., external"There's a lot of great competition still in the UFC. I do view myself as more than a fighter, and being in my position, I feel like I have a lot more options than a lot of the other fighters as far as the ability to leave and return and things like that."Aspinall has beaten every fighter in the top five of the rankings except Frenchman Ciryl Gane, who sits at number two. Jones enjoys teasing people on social media and said last week he had already told the UFC his plans, and was unsure why it had not shared them with the American hinted he was retired, before appearing to suggest he would be open to fighting in the UFC is widely considered one of, if not the best, MMA fighter of all time and has an overall record of 28 wins, one loss and one became the youngest UFC champion aged 23, a two-weight champion, and is undefeated in 20 UFC fights in a row - the company's longest unbeaten streak."I'm so connected to winning, it's probably not even healthy," Jones said."I see fighters that take losses and they smile, they hug their wives, 'better luck next time'."If I were to ever lose I'd be devastated, angry, upset, and depressed."
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Petition to strip UFC champion of title reaches 140k signatures
Jon Jones, the regular UFC heavyweight champion, is facing increasing pressure to fight interim titleholder Tom Aspinall. A petition calling for Jones to be stripped of his undisputed title has reached almost 140,000 signatures. Aspinall has expressed frustration over the delay and uncertainty surrounding a potential fight with Jones, saying it is impacting him mentally as he awaits a decision. UFC chief executive Dana White is under pressure to make a definitive decision regarding Jones's heavyweight title, but negotiations are dragging on. The UFC has announced main events through September without a Jones-Aspinall fight on the cards.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
UFC faces increased pressure to strip Jon Jones of heavyweight title after petition skyrockets
The UFC continues to face mounting pressure from fans to strip Jon Jones of his heavyweight title after a petition surged to almost 140,000 signatures. The Change petition has called for the legendary American to be removed as undisputed heavyweight king in the UFC, with Tom Aspinall patiently waiting for his opportunity as interim champion. The Briton has not fought since beating Curtis Blaydes by knockout last July and has grown tired of waiting for Jones to make a decision on his future, with conflicting comments suggesting the 37-year-old could opt to retire. With just over 138,000 signature at the time of writing, Dana White continues to face calls to make a definitive decision on Jones' future, with negotiations continuing to drag. The petition claims Jones has 'refused' to fight Aspinall, and that the 32-year-old is poised and ready to fight the American. 'We as fans must let Dana White know: It is time to strip Jon Jones of the heavyweight title. He clearly has no intentions of fighting anytime soon,' the petition concluded. The latest comments in a war of words between both sides has seen Jones fire back at his rival, ordering him to 'shut up and do what you're told'. In one of the most controversial UFC sagas in recent memory, Jones and Aspinall continue to hold a heavyweight title each, without having a unification bout booked. Jones, a former two-time light-heavyweight champion, won the vacant heavyweight belt in March 2023, but a planned defence against divisional great Stipe Miocic collapsed later that year when Jones suffered an injury. Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich stepped up, with the Briton knocking out the Russian to win the interim title, while Jones's clash with Miocic was delayed by 12 months. Last November, Jones stopped his fellow American to retain the regular belt, seemingly setting up a fight with Aspinall, who retained the interim strap last July. However, Jones has continued to play coy over the prospect of that contest coming to fruition. As such, Aspinall opened up on the mental toll of the saga this week, telling UFC legend Demetrious Johnson: 'I've been almost a year inactive with no prospects of anything apart from 'wait'. So, now it's actually a bit more of a tricky time for me mentally than it was [when I was out for 12 months with an injury, from 2023 until 2024]. 'Now, it's just like: 'Just be ready and we'll just let you know.' It's kind of difficult mentally, but this is the fight against Jon Jones. The fight is another thing, this is the tricky bit where I really have to stay switched on, stay motivated, and I'm trying my best. It's tough sometimes.' Verdict MMA shared the 32-year-old's quotes on Instagram, and 37-year-old Jones commented, 'Shut your mouth and do as you're told,' along with a laughing emoji. The comment comes during a week in which Jones has been as vague as ever over the chances of him fighting Aspinall. In one video, he said, 'I'm done,' though he tweeted on the same day: 'I don't know if I wanna call it retired, I feel like I'll always have an ability to pop out and show em. I've had many breaks throughout my career, my identity outside of fighting is well intact. I'm genuinely enjoying life, I'm growing in different ways.' And earlier in the week, he tweeted: 'Yall barkin up the wrong tree. I told the Ufc my plans a long time ago. I have no clue why they haven't shared them with you guys yet. 'Lol do I come across as the type of person who cares about things like [being stripped of the title]? [...] This, this attitude, right here is making me a very wealthy man. This desperation [from fans] is incredibly lucrative, so thank you. Keep it coming.' With the UFC , Jones vs Aspinall is unlikely to happen before October. UFC president Dana White did vow this month that he would soon announce the bout, but fans continue to await such an announcement.
