Dana White is confident that Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall will happen once they have dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s.
The UFC are pushing for Jones to defend his heavyweight title against interim champion Aspinall this year following his stoppage victory over Stipe Miocic last November.
GETTYJones vs Aspinall is being targeted for this summer[/caption]
Negotiations have been in full swing for the last few months but both parties are yet to reach an agreement.
Aspinall recently declared that Jones was ‘holding up the fight’ and expressed concerns about the 37-year-old’s willingness to face him.
However, White is confident ‘Jonny Bones’ wants to duke it out with Aspinall and insists it’s just a case of tying down the date and venue.
“Jon Jones definitely wants this fight,” White told assembled media at the UFC 313 post-fight press conference.
“It is just when and where, that is what we are working on right now.
“I’m very confident that the fight happens, yeah.”
White then confirmed that everything is pointing towards the fight happening this summer.
The UFC president’s positive update will be a relief to Aspinall, who told his YouTube subscribers last week: “Where we’re at right now is I have spoken to the UFC on multiple occasions about this fight.
“I’m chasing it. I want the fight. I’ve been on record and said that I want the fight.
“I’ve been on the phone with the UFC saying that I want the fight, when’s it happening? I want the fight more than anyone.
GettyWhite is confident the fight gets made[/caption]
“What is holding it up right now is his side. That’s the truth of it…
“The UFC really, really want the fight to happen. They told me that.
“As I said, this is one of the biggest fights that can be made in MMA right now and everybody knows that. Everybody knows it.
“It’s just does he want to put himself in a position where he’s comfortable enough financially to take the risk that he’s taking to fight me. That is where we’re at.”
Jones has repeatedly shrugged off the idea of him squaring off with Aspinall.
After beating Miocic at UFC 309, he told assembled media that he ‘doesn’t want to fight dangerous up-and-comers anymore’ and is in a position in his career where he only has eyes for ‘established champions’.
Jones even suggested he would happily vacate his heavyweight title and made it clear that the only fight he wants his against Alex Pereira.
That plan hit a stumbling block on Saturday night, when Magomed Ankalaev snatched the UFC light heavyweight title from the Brazilian via unanimous decision.
White had hinted at the possibility of Pereira fighting the winner of Jones vs Aspinall, but he will have to rematch Ankalaev before that happens.
