Jon Jones calls Tom Aspinall a ‘one trick pony’ after UFC 321 fight with Ciryl Gane
Jon Jones is unimpressed with Tom Aspinall after UFC 321. Aspinall’s fight against Ciryl Gane did not last a full round, due to an accidental eye poke ending the fight. Still, it was long enough for Jones to make critical statements about Aspinall’s limitations.
Jones’ remarks are the first time he has acknowledged Aspinall’s fighting beyond trivial punches, such as his arrival at last week’s Dirty Boxing event on a horse with an eye patch. Jones claimed the UFC heavyweight champion’s skills amounted to little more than great athleticism and a formidable straight line combination.
“Tom is a great athlete, but I feel like he’s a one-trick pony,” Jones told the “No Scripts” podcast this week. “I think his wrestling and jiu-jitsu are incredibly overrated. He has a great one-two punch.” [combination]. I learned a lot about his patterns during his last fight. That’s really it.
“That’s the only thing he did really well. He couldn’t touch Ciryl Gane at all. That’s how I felt.”
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Brian Campbell
Jones is not the only one to criticize Aspinall’s performance on October 25. Fighters and fans are divided into two camps: those who believe Aspinall took the easy way out, and those who think he legitimately couldn’t continue after receiving a double-stare. The dynamics of the fight are a key point of contention among spectators. Gane bloodied Aspinall’s nose in the first round, slightly edging him and fending off the champion’s only takedown attempt. However, it is difficult to predict the outcome of a fight, especially a 25-minute main event, from an incomplete round.
“I felt like Gane was warming up,” Jones said. “Gane’s hands were down, he was shaking his shoulders, bouncing. He was touching him. He was so comfortable.”
It’s no surprise that Jones is making the most of Aspinall’s misfortune. Jones was heavily criticized for refusing to unify his undisputed heavyweight championship with Aspinall, then interim champion. Eventually, Jones retired and vacated his title in June, only to not retiring soon after Aspinall was promoted to undisputed champion and a White House event was announced for next year.
