Paddy Pimblett believes Jon Jones would beat Tom Aspinall in a mega-fight for one reason.
Jones vs Aspinall would be an instant Fight of the Year contender and potentially all-time great if the pair unify the heavyweight division in 2025.
UFC heavyweight champion Jones has been urged to fight Briton Aspinall, who has been the No.1 contender to the heavyweight strap for nearly two years now.
The bout could signify a passing of the guard to Aspinall from UFC legend Jones, who has fought in the promotion for 17 years and still holds the record as its youngest ever champion.
Pimblett’s next fight has similar repercussions as he gears up for a fight described by himself as the biggest of his career this weekend against Michael Chandler.
The 30-year-old from Liverpool knows that if he beats Chandler – UFC’s No.8 ranked lightweight – then he may only be one more fight away from a world title shot.
Just like Aspinall, ‘The Baddy’ has shot to international fame in the last five years, and although both men are close friends, Pimblett can’t see a scenario where he gets past Jones.
“I’ll be honest, Tom’s a friend. I love Tom, he’s one of the coolest dudes in the whole of MMA,” Pimblett explained on the Full Send podcast, before making a bold admission.
“Even though Jones is getting old, I just can’t pick against Jon Jones,” he added.
“I’ve been watching Jones since 2010… he’s got proper longevity.
“The one thing I do think Jon Jones is the best at in the world, and the best ever, is his fight IQ.
“He game plans to beat people, and he doesn’t fight the same way every fight. He has a perfect game plan to beat that person.”
“As much as I love Tom and I want Tom to win, I couldn’t pick against Jon Jones. It’s just something I couldn’t do.”
Aspinall has revealed several times that he has already accepted a bout to fight Jones, and is simply waiting for the American’s camp to say ‘yes’.
However, several reports that suggest ‘Bones’ has asked for six months and a staggering pay cheque to meet Aspinall in the Octagon, meaning the super fight has been dragged out for months.
British MMA icon Michael Bisping had strong words for Jones in a brutally honest assessment of the situation when speaking to talkSPORT.com last month.
“Not that Tom wants any sympathy from me, but I really feel for the guy,” he said.
“He’s in the prime of his life. He should be fighting regularly. He’s in the gym every day. He’s very humble…
“Jones has had an incredible career, but if they don’t announce it soon then they really have to talk about stripping this guy.
“I mean, any other sport, if this was boxing, you would be stripped. If you don’t fight the mandatory challenger, you will be stripped… it’s just madness.
“Jones has been an incredible champion, but he needs to hurry up with this fight. Simple as that. Or retire.”
Pimblett takes on Chandler in the co-main event of UFC 314 this weekend in Miami, Florida.
He warned Chandler, who scored one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history three years ago, to be prepared for the very best version of himself.
The pair will lock horns before Alexander Volkanovski meets Diego Lopes in the headline act, with the featherweight title recently vacated by Ilia Topuria on the line.
Bryce Mitchell and Jean Silva will also have it out on the main card to settle the legitimate differences they share.
