Jones-Aspinall: A timeline of MMA's heavyweight melodrama

The moment Tom Aspinall was handed the interim heavyweight belt on Nov. 11, 2023, after knocking out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 is when he earned the right to challenge undisputed champion Jon Jones to unify the belts. But since that time, Jones hasn't been all that interested in obliging.

He can be forgiven for not entertaining the fight initially because he was recovering from injury. But Jones is the reason there was an interim heavyweight championship fight; he had to bow out of his scheduled title defense against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 because of a torn pectoral muscle.

Aspinall stepped into the spot Jones vacated on the UFC 295 card and finished Pavlovich on two weeks' notice. He then successfully defended his interim belt against Curtis Blaydes in July 2024. So when Jones knocked out Miocic in his return from injury at UFC 309 in November, a unifying bout between Jones and Aspinall became the only logical next step.

Yet, here we are, nearly a year since Aspinall's last fight, and still a unifying bout hasn't been booked. UFC president Dana White continues to assure the MMA community that the fight will happen, going so far as to publicly proclaim at the UFC 316 postfight news conference last week that "Jon Jones was offered the deal and accepted the deal."

Jones' social media seems to tell a different story, though.

Where is the truth? Take a look back at all the talk, social media posts, fakeouts and speculation over the past year and decide for yourself.

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Dana White: Jon Jones is not afraid to fight Tom Aspinall

Dana White explains to Stephen A. Smith that Jon Jones has never turned down a fight and that Jones has no aversion to fighting Tom Aspinall.

July 27, 2024: Just 60 seconds into his first defense as UFC interim heavyweight champion, Aspinall knocks out Blaydes with a strong left hand and a series of ground strikes. He wastes no time addressing the elephant in the room.

"I'm the best finisher in the UFC, if I start to snowball you, you're done," Aspinall tells the Manchester, England, crowd at UFC 304 during his postfight interview. "Who wants to see Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones?"

Nov. 7, 2024: Leading up to the rescheduled Miocic fight, Jones bristles at the idea that he will face Aspinall if he gets past Miocic, implying Aspinall isn't his level of competition.

"I feel like Tom Aspinall is -- I don't want to say nobody -- but he hasn't proven anything, he hasn't done anything," Jones says in an interview. "I'm not here to gamble on someone else making a name off of me."

Instead, Jones hints that he could entertain retirement after the fight. He also floats a champion vs. champion match against then-light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

"If there were to be a fight with a guy that's still on our UFC roster that would be not only financially worth it but legacy worth it, it would be Alex Pereira," Jones says. "I've just been here too long to get all excited about someone who's hot today. I'm here for legacy. I've been gambling for too long to just take random fights."

Nov. 14, 2024: White isn't interested in Jones playing matchmaker, saying that if Jones chooses to continue fighting, Aspinall would be his next opponent, not Pereira. "He's not fighting Pereira," White says. "[Pereira] was a middleweight that moved up to light heavyweight. He's also a kickboxer who has done very, very well in MMA. His wrestling isn't even near the level of Jon Jones, and Jon Jones is way bigger than him."

Nov. 16, 2024: Jones steps back into the Octagon for the first time in a year and a half and delivers a Round 3 spinning back kick that sends Miocic to the canvas to retain the heavyweight belt.

With Aspinall cageside, Jones says he would fight Aspinall only if he were offered a "very, very high number."

"I find him annoying, and I just don't like him," Jones says of Aspinall, "and at the end of the day, if I give him the opportunity to fight me, I want to be so compensated -- I want to say it, I want that 'f--- you' money, honestly."

Nov. 18, 2024: In an interview on YouTube, Aspinall claims to have begun talks with the UFC for his next fight but provides no details. In the same interview, Aspinall says it's his opinion that Georges St-Pierre is a greater fighter than Jones because "he's never failed for PEDs." Jones was stripped of his heavyweight title after he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Turinabol in 2017.

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Daniel Cormier: Jon Jones 'out of his mind' saying he'd beat me at heavyweight

Daniel Cormier refutes Jon Jones claim that Jones could have beaten him at heavyweight.

Nov. 24, 2024: In another YouTube video, Jones says his team is in negotiations with the UFC as well, but Jones won't say whether Aspinall is the opponent nor will he give a hint as to a dollar figure he is asking for. He will say only that a return in 2025 is "more than likely."

Dec. 3, 2024: Now four months since his interim defense, Aspinall tells ESPN he isn't interested in a long layoff between fights. He says his top priority is becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion, whether or not he has to beat Jones to do it.

"Nothing really interests me right now other than being the undisputed heavyweight champion in the world. And that doesn't have to be against Jon," Aspinall says. "If Jon wants to give up the belt and do other stuff, I am fine with that.

Dec. 14, 2024: At a postfight news conference for a UFC Fight Night from Tampa, Florida, White is asked if he will guarantee a fight between Jones and Aspinall. "Yeah, I'll say 100 percent," he replies.

Feb. 5, 2025: Jones promises his X followers an announcement is coming.

In 24 hours I'll be making a huge announcement! #Andstill

Feb 6. 2025: The next day, in the ultimate fakeout, Jones posts a video in which he announces his next opponent will be ... "the American healthcare system." The clip is a Super Bowl ad for a nonprofit targeting healthcare reform.

May 14, 2025: MMA fans begin to grow concerned Jones isn't serious about fighting again, prompting an online petition to "let Dana White know: It is time to strip Jon Jones of the heavyweight title." To date, it has nearly 200,000 signatures.

May 19, 2025: While in Thailand to coach against Nate Diaz on a reality TV fighting show called "ALF Global Reality," Jones engages with fans online who accuse him of ducking Aspinall and calling for him to be stripped of his belt. He claims the UFC is aware of his future plans.

Yall barkin up the wrong tree, I told the Ufc my plans a long time ago. I have no clue why they haven't shared them with you guys yet. https://t.co/sB4gPaqlzU

I don't know if I wanna call it retired, I feel like I'll always have an ability to pop out and show em. I've had many breaks throughout my career, my identity outside of fighting is well intact. I'm genuinely enjoying life, I'm growing in different ways. https://t.co/XuH1diQVr1

May 26, 2025: This time it's Aspinall's turn to get in on the announcement excitement. He posts the message "Heavyweight news. Coming soon" to his Instagram but is quick to remind his followers that the UFC typically announces official matches, not the fighters.

May 28, 2025: Despite his warnings, fans are unhappy with another red herring when Aspinall's announcement is a brand partnership with the sportswear company Champion.

June 2, 2025: Aspinall tells Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier on the "Good Guy/Bad Guy" podcast that he's ready to move on from "retired" Jon Jones.

"Jon Jones is retired," Aspinall says. "I want to say God bless him moving forward in what he does with his life and career. We move on. I'm the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. I'm ready to take on all comers and get this division moving again."

June 6: Jones spends more time responding to posts on X, claiming, among other things, he isn't training, he'd vacate the belt and he would entertain a fight with 2024 PFL heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

And remember, you can't strip a guy like me at this point I give the belt up freely. Veni, vidi, vici. 😘

I'm hearing Francis Ngannou is still interested... now we're talking. That's a real super fight. A clash of champions, not just hype. He held the UFC belt, I've defended mine for over a decade. Two kings from different roads. Not just one legend facing a mouth that's hot right...

June 7, 2025: For the first time in several months, White readdresses the Jones-Aspinall saga, saying at the news conference after UFC 316 it is a "fact" that Jones agreed to a fight with Aspinall.

"Yeah, I've been saying it since the beginning, Jon Jones agreed to do the fight. Jon Jones was offered the deal and accepted the deal," White says. "You guys have heard me for the last however long. I said, 'I guarantee this fight is going to happen.' Yes, I've been saying Jon is gonna fight Tom."

June 13, 2025: Back from filming in Thailand, Jones appears at a Dirty Boxing Championship event in Miami. A reporter asks if Jones is aware of White's claim that Jones agreed to fight Aspinall, to which he replies, "Is that what he said?"