Veteran UFC fighter Anthony Smith has weighed in on the stalemate between undisputed heavyweight champion Jon Jones and interim champion Tom Aspinall, suggesting that Jones is deliberately manipulating Aspinall.
For well over a year, Aspinall has been actively seeking a unification bout against Jones to crown an undisputed champion. Despite Aspinall`s consistent public appeals, the highly anticipated fight has not materialized. The waiting period has even seen Aspinall become the longest-reigning interim champion in UFC history, and the delay is visibly affecting him. According to Anthony Smith, this frustration is precisely what Jones intends.
Speaking on UFC Live, Smith advised Aspinall to alter his approach. “I have a lot of love and respect for Tom Aspinall, but if I’m Tom, I’m probably going to be a little quieter,” Smith stated. He believes Aspinall`s efforts to provoke and challenge Jones`s ego are futile because Jones operates on a different level. “Jon is a master manipulator, and he’s a master at the mind games that are behind this sport,” Smith explained, drawing on his own experience and observing Jones`s history of needing to control every situation.
Smith, who faced Jones in a light heavyweight title fight in 2019, speaks from firsthand knowledge of Jones`s psychological tactics. He argues that Aspinall`s current strategy of public challenges is exactly what Jones anticipates and plays directly into the champion`s hands.
“I understand that Tom Aspinall has this fighter mindset where he wants to say, ‘I’m better than you, and you think you’re better than me, so I’m going to keep attacking that.’ Jon doesn’t care about any of that,” Smith asserted. He likened the dynamic to a negotiation, noting, “The person who cares the least in every negotiation wins.” Smith firmly believes Jon Jones is indifferent to what Tom Aspinall wants and is likely motivated to do the opposite. “That’s how Jon is going to operate,” he added.
Smith described dealing with Jones`s mental approach as “one of the most exhausting things” he`s encountered. He characterized Jones as a “master at emotionally and mentally exhausting people” and pointed to Aspinall as evidence that this strategy is working, observing that Aspinall appears to be “starting to get tired.”
However, an alternative perspective exists: perhaps Jon Jones is simply avoiding the fight because the potential risks associated with facing Aspinall do not justify the reward for him at this stage of his career. If the UFC is not compelling him to defend or vacate the title, there`s little incentive for him to take a difficult stylistic matchup unless it comes with an exorbitant payday or he is forced to relinquish the belt. From this viewpoint, Jones might merely be waiting, and the ongoing delay is more a result of the UFC`s handling of the division than Jones`s psychological warfare.
