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UFC president Dana White says Jon Jones-Tom Aspinall fight is happening

At all costs, UFC CEO Dana White intends to make Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall a reality.

Zain Bando

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

UFC CEO Dana White has continued to push for UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones to unify his belt against interim champion Tom Aspinall later this year in arguably the most lucratiive fight the promotion can possibly make.

White Provides Update On Jones vs. Aspinall

In a one-on-one interview with Piers Morgan released earlier this week, White, fresh off a trip to Saudi Arabia last Saturday and currently in Sydney, Australia, for this weekend's UFC 312 event, is actively working on ensuring Jones-Aspinall gets made to determine MMA's rightful No. 1 heavyweight.

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"He wants to fight everybody, man," White said about Aspinall. "Yes, he does [think he beats Jon Jones]. I love it. And a young, aggressive, talented heavyweight that he actually wants to fight all the best."

Tom Aspinall reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden.
Tom Aspinall reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

White said there is a caveat which is holding Aspinall's goals slightly hostage, but it isn't just an issue for the Englishman.

"The problem in this [MMA/UFC] business is, you have guys [like Jon Jones] who say a lot of things publicly, but behind the curtains don't mean it," White said. "You know, [they] don't really want these fights. Tom Aspinall is not that guy. Tom Aspinall wants to fight all the best guys in the world, and I love that."

Tom Aspinall reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden.
Tom Aspinall reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

White gave heaping praise for the 31-year-old, despite Aspinall having only been in the UFC for five years with nine Octagon appearances to show for it.

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"Very good," White said regarding how Aspinall is perceived in the MMA community. "We're gonna find out though, if we make this Jon Jones [unification] fight. Obviously, a fight like that for a young, talented heavyweight – if he can win – if he can beat Jon Jones – it's life-changing."

Jon Jones reacts after defeating Stipe Miocic during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden.
Jon Jones reacts after defeating Stipe Miocic during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

White did not give a definitive timetable as to when the fight is happening but did clarify his intention is to make the fight before the year concludes, whenever it may end up being.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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