Ian Machado Garry has told Jon Jones he should avoid Tom Aspinall ‘like the plague.‘
Garry takes on Shavkat Rakhmonov in UFC 310’s co-main event this Saturday in Las Vegas.
The card is headlined by Alexandre Pantoja, who puts his flyweight belt on the line against Kai Asakura.
Ciryl Gane takes on Alexander Volkov in a top heavyweight bout, also on the main card, while former UFC champions Aljamain Sterling and Chris Weidman fight on the prelims.
Garry joined talkSPORT’s Drive show with Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent on Wednesday to discuss his upcoming bout with Rakhmonov, where he urged Jones to avoid Aspinall at all costs.
“Look, when you talk about the greatest of all time in MMA – It’s Jon Jones,” the 27-year-old Irishman said.
“What he has done inside that octagon has been nothing but phenomenal.
“I am a massive supporter of Tom Aspinall, and if I was Jon Jones, I would avoid that fight like the plague, because Tom is ridiculously talented.
“He is ridiculously fast and he hits so hard, and when you have the shortest average fight time in UFC history there’s a reason for that.”
Aspinall has finished all but one of his UFC opponents in the first round en route to the heavyweight division’s summit in the past four years.
The 31-year-old Briton is the current UFC interim heavyweight champion, and has called out Jones for months now to avail.
He was also the official backup fighter for Jones vs Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, where the former retained his heavyweight belt by delivering a brutal spinning back kick in the third round.
Jones was pressed about fighting Aspinall in the buildup to his UFC 309 fight, but remained consistent on preferring a legacy-defining bout with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
“Everyone wants to see this fight, but is Jon Jones willing to put all of his reputation [on the line],” Garry added.
“All of his career in his late stage of life in this sport, which is the case, he’s an older fighter now. Is he wiling to do that against a young, hungry, dominant fighter. I don’t know.”
Garry was then asked on how big of a factor money would be, should Jones agree to a blockbuster unification fight with Aspinall.
“Money makes people move, money talks,” Garry said. “So obviously the money he could get for a fight like that would be better for him.”
“But realistically, I don’t think Jones is focusing on money. I think Jones is going to be focusing on his career and everything that he’s done.
“If he fights Tom Aspinall, what’s the benefit for him? Sure, if he beats Tom Aspinall, but if he losses does that tarnish his entire body of work?”
UFC President Dana White previously stated that the winner of Jones vs Miocic should “absolutely” face Aspinall, and although both men remain in negotiations, there is yet to be an official announcement.
