Henry Cejudo believes Tom Aspinall could potentially still lure Jon Jones out of retirement.
Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) was promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion after Jones retired and relinquished the belt this past weekend. Many view No. 1 ranked and former interim champ Ciryl Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) as the frontrunner to challenge Aspinall next.
Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) quickly submitted Gane to claim the vacant belt at UFC 285 in March 2023. Aspinall has finished all but one of his professional wins in the first round, and if he can do the same to Gane, Cejudo thinks that could impact Jones’ future in the sport.
“You give him the No.1 contender, Ciryl Gane,” Cejudo said of Aspinall on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman. “Ciryl Gane is somebody that’s a big heavyweight, that’s very agile. I don’t think Tom Aspinall gets rid of him right away like he has with other people, and I think that’ll be a big indication on if Jon Jones wants to come back and reclaim that belt once again. Just to get a feel of what Tom is all about now that they have a mutual competitor.”
Cejudo’s podcast host, Kamaru Usman, agreed that Gane should be next for Aspinall.
“I think you’re absolutely right, the fight that makes sense, Tom Aspinall-Ciryl Gane, let’s make that happen,” Usman said. “Ciryl Gane, people forget how fantastic he is, a guy that can kind of float around the octagon, touch you, kick you, hit you with elbows. He’s just a complete game, so I think that is something that could potentially present dangers for a guy like Tom Aspinall, but man, Tom’s movement, his boxing, his speed and his power. It’s very, very difficult to doubt this man anymore.”
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