Former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has criticised current titleholder Tom Aspinall following his latest outing at UFC 321.
Jones spoke out after Aspinall’s first defence of the undisputed heavyweight belt ended in a no-contest against Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi in recent weeks due to an accidental eye-poke. According to Jones, even in the brief action he saw, Aspinall’s grappling credentials did not impress.
“Tom’s a great athlete, but I do feel like he’s a one-trick pony,” said Jones, according to Bloody Elbow. “I believe that his wrestling and jiu-jitsu is incredibly overrated. He has a beautiful one-two … that’s really about it.”
Jones added: “He couldn’t touch Ciryl Gane at all, that’s the way I felt. I feel like Gane was just getting warmed up.”
Looking ahead, the heavyweight division now faces multiple storylines. A rematch between Aspinall and Gane appears likely once the champion fully recovers, while Jones is reportedly setting his sights on a high-profile return, potentially against light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
Aspinall, meanwhile, remains the reigning champion but has yet to fully validate his undisputed status in the Octagon following the abrupt ending of his UFC 321 bout.
