Jon Jones has fired a controversial statement at Tom Aspinall, dismissing the British heavyweight’s grappling credentials and suggesting the champion’s striking arsenal is far more limited than many believe.
In a candid interview, the former two-division UFC champion expressed skepticism about Aspinall’s much-discussed submission skills, stating bluntly: “I believe that his wrestling and jiu-jitsu is incredibly overrated.”
Jones went further, characterizing the interim heavyweight champion as lacking diversity in his approach. “I feel as Tom’s a great athlete, but I do feel like he’s a one-trick pony,” the legendary champion explained.
When breaking down Aspinall’s standup game, Jones was equally dismissive: “He has a beautiful one-two. That’s really about it.”
The criticism comes as Jones continues to analyze potential opponents in the heavyweight division, having defended his title against Ciryl Gane via first-round submission. That performance sparked its own debates about ground game competency at the highest levels of the sport.
Fabricio Werdum, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and former UFC heavyweight champion, previously offered his own evaluation of Gane’s grappling abilities. “Honestly, between us, on the ground, Gane is at blue belt level. And in terms of pure BJJ standards, I’d call him a very early, beginner blue belt,” Werdum stated. “Like someone who just got the belt. He can’t set up a proper guard, he doesn’t know how to do a hip escape, he doesn’t know how to do technical stand-ups.”
Jones referenced Aspinall’s most recent outing against Gane at UFC 321, which ended in controversial fashion after an eye poke left the Brit unable to continue. Despite the abbreviated contest, Jones felt he gleaned valuable intelligence from what transpired.
“He couldn’t touch Ciryl Gane at all. That’s the way I felt,” Jones observed. “I felt like Gane was just getting warmed up. Gane’s hands was down. He was shaking his shoulders, bouncing around. He was touching him. That jab busted him open.”
Most provocatively, Jones questioned Aspinall’s resolve when the Abu Dhabi bout was halted. “I think Tom was looking for a way out, and he took it,” the champion declared, a claim certain to spark heated debate among fans and pundits alike.
Jones concluded with advice for the British champion: “He needs to change his game plan.”
The comments add fuel to speculation about a potential super-bout between the two champions, though Jones has previously suggested retirement may be on the horizon. Aspinall, meanwhile, has been vocal about his desire to unify the heavyweight titles and prove himself against the sport’s greatest champion.
Interestingly, recent footage showed Aspinall training with renowned grappler Craig Jones, working specifically on Islam Makhachev’s D’Arce choke variation. During the session on “The B-Team” channel, Craig Jones emphasized the technical precision required for the submission.
“It’s hard to train it because you know, it’s hard to drill. I don’t want to get drill on me,” Jones explained while demonstrating the mechanics to the heavyweight champion.
Whether Jon Jones’s assessment about Tom Aspinall proves accurate remains to be seen.
