Curtis Blaydes contends that while Jon Jones may be considered the greatest fighter ever, facing Tom Aspinall is essential to cement his heavyweight legacy.
Blaydes, who lost to Aspinall in an interim title fight, believes Jones’ victories over Stipe Miocic and Ciryl Gane haven’t truly tested him at heavyweight.
“We don’t really know how good Jon Jones is at heavyweight yet. His wins weren’t against top contenders in their prime. While he might be the GOAT overall, the heavyweight GOAT title is still up for grabs. Currently, I’d give that to Stipe Miocic for his past achievements,” Blaydes stated.
“To truly earn my respect as the heavyweight GOAT, Jones needs to defeat Aspinall. You have to compete against the best to be recognized as the best.”
Blaydes points out that Jones’ heavyweight wins are against opponents with specific weaknesses or who were not at their peak.
Gane’s grappling vulnerability was exposed by Ngannou and then easily exploited by Jones. Miocic, while a legend, was 42 and returning after a long layoff, not showcasing his prime form against Jones.
“That wasn’t the dominant Stipe of the past. It was a Stipe nearing retirement. There’s no shame in losing to Jon Jones, but it wasn’t the Stipe at his best,” Blaydes commented.
Having trained to fight Aspinall, Blaydes recognizes his exceptional skills, especially his knockout power and athleticism.
Their fight ended quickly with an Aspinall knockout, demonstrating his fight-ending ability. Blaydes emphasizes Aspinall’s speed, athleticism, power, and fight IQ, making him a unique challenge for Jones.
“Aspinall is fast, athletic, and powerful. He’s also a smart fighter who sets up his attacks and understands strategy. Jones often relies on exploiting opponents’ weaknesses, but Aspinall’s athleticism would neutralize those easy opportunities. Jones would have to work harder and reveal more of his game, something we haven’t seen since the Dominick Reyes fight,” Blaydes explained.
Blaydes believes Aspinall’s knockout threat is a different kind of challenge for Jones, questioning if Jones possesses comparable heavyweight knockout power.
“Heavyweight fights can end quickly with one punch. If Aspinall can force Jones into a stand-up fight, it becomes anyone’s fight. We haven’t seen if Jones has true heavyweight knockout power. Even in his light heavyweight days, his wins were usually accumulated damage, not one-punch knockouts. I think that power difference could be key.”
Blaydes believes the challenge Aspinall presents, combined with a lucrative UFC offer, will motivate Jones to accept the fight in 2025.
“I fully expect this fight to happen. Jones won’t turn down a multi-million dollar payday. If he avoids Aspinall, what’s next? Retirement? He seems capable of more. Why not take the money and defend his title?”
“The hold up is unclear. The UFC is likely offering a huge sum. This would be a massive fight, and Jones is getting older. He should capitalize on this opportunity while he can.”
