Georges St-Pierre has advised interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall to stop focusing his energy on the potential fight with Jon Jones.
For over a year, Aspinall has openly pursued a title unification bout against Jones, the reigning heavyweight champion. However, the path has been difficult. Aspinall was initially overlooked for a planned `legacy` fight between Jones and former champion Stipe Miocic in November. Recent speculation suggests negotiations for an Aspinall vs. Jones fight remain stalled, with the UFC reportedly considering booking Aspinall to defend his interim title for a second time this summer. This prolonged uncertainty has understandably become a significant source of frustration for Aspinall and his team.
St-Pierre, speaking with Ariel Helwani, suggested that Aspinall needs to redirect his focus. Recalling his own experience after a setback, St-Pierre noted, “I remember when I lost to Matt Serra, I was making the mistake of trying to focus on Matt Serra to try and get my revenge immediately. But I had a few other fights lined up before to get that.”
Applying this to Aspinall`s situation, St-Pierre stated, “If he is only focusing on Jon Jones, and if Jon Jones does not come back right away, he’s not focusing on the right thing. He needs to focus on what is next, the next path. Because the rest, it’s a distraction.”
St-Pierre acknowledged Aspinall`s perspective, understanding that as “a proud fighter,” Aspinall naturally wants to challenge the recognized best. However, he emphasized the factors outside of Aspinall`s influence, such as Jones`s decisions, compensation demands, and negotiation outcomes. “So Tom should not focus on that because it’s outside of his control, and he’s wasting a lot of energy focusing on that,” St-Pierre cautioned.
Aspinall`s unique predicament is highlighted by the fact that he is now officially the longest-reigning interim champion in UFC history, a position defined by waiting on the undisputed champion`s future. Despite the clear reasons for frustration, St-Pierre reinforced the importance of mental discipline.
“I know it’s very hard, but you need to sort of self-hypnotize himself to focus on the next thing and be hungry about the next task,” he advised. St-Pierre believes that by consistently focusing on immediate challenges, Aspinall can build his own formidable legacy. “And by doing this, only focusing on the next thing, next thing, next thing, he’s going to build up his legacy, and perhaps one day he’s going to be the greatest. He’s got all the tools.”
From his own decorated career, which included periods of negotiation challenges with the UFC, St-Pierre also expressed empathy for Jon Jones`s side of the situation.
“A lot of people want this fight to happen because a lot of people believe he’s the guy that’s going to crack Jon Jones’s code,” St-Pierre remarked, acknowledging the fan interest. “As a fan, I want to see this fight.” He concluded by reiterating the core dynamic: “I understand both sides. Jon wants to be compensated. It`s a negotiation game. It`s a chess game. And on the other side, Tom is waiting. I understand both points of view, but Tom needs to focus on what’s next, and the rest, sort of clear your mind and only focus on that thing.”
