Demetrious Johnson believes if Tom Aspinall beats UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, his star power would reach unparalleled heights.
Interim heavyweight champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has been longing for his title-unification bout with Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) but has been provided no clarity on the potential matchup – even though UFC CEO Dana White is confident it happens.
That’s because Jones has refused to publicly commit to fighting Aspinall, insisting that he’s content with his legacy as it stands. If the fight does materialize, Johnson explained what a win could do for Aspinall – not just for his resume.
“My opinion, I think it’s a huge risk,” Johnson said in an interview with Aspinall on his YouTube channel. “You’re younger, you’re athletic, you hit hard, you pose problems. We don’t have much data on you, meaning we don’t know what happens if you do, and this is me speaking as an analyst and my experience in MMA. Like if I were to fight Tom Aspinall, what do I need to do?
“He’s very fast, he’s very athletic, light on his toes, he blitzes across the void. So if he gets across the void, can I take that shot? A lot of people have not been able to take that shot. So if he gets across that void and I get hit, I might go f*cking down. That happens, you become the biggest f*cking star ever. You just slayed the GOAT in a lot of people’s eyes, right?”
However, Johnson understands where Jones is coming from when he says he has nothing to gain by beating Aspinall.
“In Jones’ eyes, if I go out there and I beat him (Aspinall), as his words said, he’s here today, gone tomorrow,” Johnson continued. “That’s my opinion from his standpoint, or maybe he wants $30-40 million dollars. I have no idea.”