It is sad that it has gotten to this point with the UFC and the heavyweight division. Tom Aspinall could be, and at this point should be, an MMA star in the making. Dana White has instead decided to cling to the hope of Jon Jones not retiring despite every sign indicating that he has.
What makes this decision by White all the more frustrating is how the company has not had any issues in the past when it comes to stripping belts. Even within the past couple of weeks, Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev have not been allowed to go for a double-champ status.
While Jones is flaunting his ‘good life’ that he is enjoying, an entire division has been held at bay with a hope that was never going to manifest. Most UFC fans agree that White has been holding out for a Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall bout.
Despite Jones’ financial demands reportedly being met, the fight is now apparently not intriguing enough for the current champion, for a reason that is clear to all onlookers. Aspinall is an athlete in his prime, and poses significant matchup problems that would give Jones a lot of issues in the octagon.
Francis Ngannou, after taking something of an MMA side quest, has now expressed his interest in rejoining the promotion ranks.
Jones, of course, took this opportunity to say how much more worthy of a challenge this would be. In reality, he is coming full circle from a fighter he once actively avoided when the circumstances were not entirely in his favor.
Due to the inactivity as the reigning champ, Jones’ mocking of the entire promotion, and his apparent happiness to give up the belt, his last wish should now be honored. It does not do anyone any good to continue this charade of Jones pretending to be the heavyweight champion.
The next super fight, though markedly less in potential stature, should be Tom Aspinall vs. Francis Ngannou. If Aspinall wins, the rest of the division can get back at it and fight for top contender status. Ngannou will then have a minimum two-fight arc, and possibly more, at his immediate disposal.
Ngannou could then fight Ciryl Gane or Alexander Volkov and either jockey for position in the rankings or have a chance at a rematch following a victory. Aspinall would simply remain on top as king of the court.
In the event of Ngannou winning, the same principle would hold true, except the only difference would depend on how close the fight ends up being. A close decision could be enough to demand an immediate rematch, while the rest of the division then fights for the ensuing top contender position.
It is known that Jones is allowed to hold up the division because of the notoriety that comes with his name still being attached to the promotion. Particularly with a looming UFC deal and negotiations taking place, having this hypothetical fight as an ace up the sleeve helps White in that aspect. By doing so, White has unjustifiably brought the heavyweight division to a screeching halt. It is time for this to be corrected with a Tom Aspinall vs. Francis Ngannou megafight.
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