Dominick Reyes understands why Jon Jones has no interest in fighting Tom Aspinall. The heavyweight champion, Jones, had to withdraw from his scheduled bout with Stipe Miocic due to a torn pectoralis tendon. Aspinall, the interim heavyweight champion, was eager to unify his belt with Jones, but Jones seemed uninterested. Reyes, who gave Jones a tough challenge in their previous light heavyweight title fight, can empathize with Aspinall.
Reyes acknowledges Jones’ perspective, stating, “I completely understand where Jon is coming from. Jon is a recognizable name worldwide. Fighting Tom is a risk management decision. It’s similar to why he didn’t want to rematch me – it’s too dangerous and not enough reward. Tom is an exceptional fighter.”
Jones has hinted that his fight with Miocic could be his last. In light of this, Reyes believes that it wouldn’t make sense for Jones to fight Aspinall. Reyes explains, “Tom is very similar to myself, but he’s a heavyweight. That’s extremely dangerous. He’s agile, quick, and excels in wrestling and grappling. His power is unmatched.”
Reyes questions the benefit of Jones fighting Aspinall when he could instead face the greatest heavyweight of all time, Stipe Miocic. Reyes argues, “Beating the most recent champion? No, let’s fight the greatest heavyweight of all time, Stipe Miocic. He’s one of the greatest with his defenses, an active great. Jon is a great himself, so he’s going to fight another active great.”