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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Tom Aspinall wants nothing more than to unify the UFC heavyweight title in a fight against Jon Jones, but he’s effectively given up any hope that it ever happens.

Despite a remarkable run through the UFC with eight wins and only one opponent even making it to the second round with him, Aspinall suddenly finds himself on the outside looking in while clutching onto an interim heavyweight title. While he’s waiting, Jon Jones is preparing to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in a fight expected in November at Madison Square Garden in New York.

What makes matters worse is that Jones may ultimately decide to retire from the sport if he beats Miocic, and while that might solidify Aspinall as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, he prefers proving that in the cage.

“There is nowhere that you can find publicly, nowhere, him saying that he will fight me,” Aspinall said about Jones on the Believe You Me podcast. “It doesn’t exist. I challenge anybody watching this interview to go and find the statement, quote, a video where Jon Jones is saying that he’ll fight me after he’s fought Stipe. It doesn’t exist. The guy’s smart, and we know the guy’s a bit overweight these days. The guy sat there with the Cheeto fingers or whatever, Doritos on his fingers with his iPhone in hand waiting for me to get knocked out [by Curtis Blaydes] so he could start tweeting about it.

“Let’s be honest, and since I won that fight, he’s gone completely quiet. He’ll continue to go completely quiet about me until he retires. Because there’s no way on Earth that he’s going to fight me. Not a chance. I will retire Jon Jones without even fighting him.”

Of course, Jones has commented on Aspinall in the past, but he’s mostly stated that a fight against a legend like Miocic just means more to his career and legacy, which is why he’s openly pursued the matchup.

Miocic is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time, and he holds the record for the most title defenses in that division in UFC history with three straight. That said, Miocic just turned 42 years old, he’s coming off a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou and he hasn’t fought since March 2021.

The fact that Jones wants that fight over a potential showdown against Aspinall tells the current interim UFC champion everything he needs to know.

“They don’t f*cking deserve to be fighting for the heavyweight title,” Aspinall said. “Them guys are not the top of the heavyweight division right now. Dana White and everybody else can say whatever they want, them guys aren’t the best heavyweights in the world right now.

“I’m not saying they’ve not had amazing careers because I idolize those guys. I want to have a career like that. That’s what I’m aiming to do with my life is what they’ve done but they’re not the best right now. Right now they’re definitely not the best so let’s stop talking all this bullshit like they are.”

The biggest obstacle for Aspinall getting to Jones probably isn’t Miocic but rather UFC CEO Dana White.

In recent months, White has consistently delivered the message that he considers Jones the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, and the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time, and he wants to allow him the courtesy to pursue a fight against another legend like Miocic.

That may appease Jones’ greatest desire, but Aspinall scoffs at the idea that somehow proves he’s the best heavyweight in the UFC.

“The way I look at it, I’m the best heavyweight in the world and I’m not getting my credit for it,” Aspinall said. “They’re holding the belt hostage and Jon Jones is loving it. He’s loving the fact that Dana White’s getting on every interview possible — you’re talking about bantamweights and Dana White flips it back and starts talking about how good Jon Jones is! If he’s that good, let’s fight. I’m the No. 1 heavyweight in the world right now. Let’s put it on the line and let’s see who the man is, me or Jon? It’s as simple as that.

“I’m about I’m the best fighter in the world, the best heavyweight in the world right now, and Jon Jones isn’t and I’m willing to prove it and he’s not. That’s what I’m about. I’m about being the best heavyweight in the world.”

While his frustration continues to mount, Aspinall revealed that he is expected to serve as the backup fighter for the Jones vs. Miocic fight later this year. If a scenario unfolds where he gets the call to step up against one of them in November, Aspinall vowed “I will jump in on one hour’s notice if I have to and beat either of them.”

If Jones vs. Miocic goes off without incident, Aspinall has accepted that he may go through an entire training camp without the reward of fighting, but that’s a risk he’s willing to take.

In his eyes, it’s just further proof that he’s willing to do what Jones won’t.

“I’m the guy at heavyweight, not him — me,” Aspinall said. “I want to be recognized as the best. I’ve got the real belt. I’m the one defending. He’s defending against a 42-year-old Stipe Miocic with a million miles on the clock. If you want to be the real guy, you have to fight me.”

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Israel Adesanya may have fallen short in his bid to recapture the UFC middleweight title, but the rest of City Kickboxing’s crew showed out at UFC 305.

Chief among them were Adesanya’s teammates, lightweight Dan Hooker and flyweight Kai Kara-France, both of whom picked up the biggest wins of their respective UFC careers on Saturday’s pay-per-view card. Hooker won a grueling war of attrition against Mateusz Gamrot to push his win streak to three straight and vault into lightweight title contention, while Kara-France needed less than a round to knock out previous title challenger Steve Erceg and reestablish his presence in the flyweight championship picture.

As such, Hooker and Kara-France make up two of the most impactful moves in the MMA Fighting global rankings as the dust settles from Perth. In our latest divisional update, Hooker jumps up three spots into the No. 9 lightweight ranking, while Kara-France advances to No. 6 in the flyweight ladder.

While it may not be as immediately visible as those two, one other notable outcome from UFC 305 centered around the event’s headliner, UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. The South African titleholder may still have some doubters in the MMA community because of his unique style, but you won’t find them among MMA Fighting’s seven-person voting panel. With his fourth-round submission of Adesanya, “Stillknocks” captured all seven first-place votes from our team at 185 pounds, finally convincing the lone holdout on our panel of du Plessis’ superiority over undefeated Bellator champion Johnny Eblen.

Du Plessis now represents our team’s first unanimous No. 1 middleweight in the world since Adesanya’s second title reign ended in shocking fashion at the hands of Sean Strickland.

Check out our updated rankings below from the divisions most affected by UFC 305.

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Two legend’s of the ring may collide in an exhibition match next month, as rumors of a fight between Floyd Mayweather and Julio Cesar Chavez begin to pick up.

In the modern era of boxing, fans have come accustomed to seeing strange matchups, usually involving social media influencers. But now, if Chavez’s words are anything to go by, the combat sport world will have something to get excited for.

According to boxing icon Julio Cesar Chavez, a fight between himself and Floyd Mayweather could be right around the corner. Chavez hinted at the bout on his Instagram page, claiming that the clash will unfold on September 16.

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Boxing fans rejoice at the thought of a Floyd Mayweather vs. Julio Cesar Chavez super-fight, but it’s likely too late for the affair to be competitive. 

Chavez is 15 years Mayweather’s elder, and at 62 years old, is unlikely to possess even close to the amount of talent he had during his mesmerizing heights back in the mid ’90s.

Despite retiring from professional boxing in 2005, the Mexican has ventured into the exhibition side of the sport. Chavez has competed as recent as 2021 and will be hoping to put on a show for the fans if the September 16 Mayweather event does go ahead.

Related: Floyd Mayweather bout explodes into chaos with gangster’s grandson

Who is Floyd Mayweather fighting next?

While Floyd Mayweather could potentially be facing the aforementioned Julio Cesar Chavez next month, he still has an upcoming opponent to worry about.

On Saturday, August 24, ‘Money’ Mayweather will run it back with John Gotti III. The pair originally met last year, though their fight was cut short due to an excessive amount of trash talking.

Things boiled over after the bout was stopped, with Gotti still attempting to attack his opponent. All eyes are glued to this weekend, with many expecting the heat between the pair to continue.

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Mutual respect
| BJPenn.com

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Du Plessis declared Whittaker is his favorite fighter, and laid out a laundry list of reasons why ‘Reaper’ deserves a middleweight title shot.

After defeating Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, Dricus Du Plessis is expected to face Sean Strickland for his next title defense. That’s the word from UFC execs on high, and Du Plessis has said he’s not in the business of choosing opponents. But if he were, he’d choose Robert Whittaker.

“Robert Whitaker is one of the biggest legends of the sport, in my opinion,” Du Plessis said in an interview with FOX Sports Australia. “That’s why he’s my favorite fighter. You know, that’s why I’ve always been such a big fan of Robert Whitaker before being in the UFC even. The man has an understanding for the game. He knows. He’s been in those wars.”

“I’m gonna say it: I believe that they’re doing Robert Whittaker a little bit dirty with what he’s done. The Strickland fight, obviously, more people want to see it. I want to fight the best guy. I want to fight the guy people want to see me fight. I want to fight the guy who is clearly the best next guy and … right now that’s Sean Strickland, apparently?”

Du Plessis laid down Whittaker’s accomplishments compared to Strickland.

“Robert Whittaker, especially if he wins over Khamzat [Chimaev], how do you not give the man [a title shot]?” the South African asked. “Strickland beat [Paulo] Costa in a very subpar fight. Whittaker beat Costa in an amazing fight. Then goes to fight Khamzat. Khamzat steps out. Whittaker fights a nobody, Alikserov, a great fighter, just risk, no reward. Does UFC, does everyone a favor, steps up, makes it look easy, shows everyone the level he is at. Then asks for Khamzat again!”

“And even with a win doesn’t get a shot?”

“I’ve said it many times, that’s the fight game,” Du Plessis concluded. “Right now more people want to see Strickland. And I’m in a position where I’m not refusing any fights. I’m going to fight the guy they put in front of me and I’m going to win the belt again.”

Robert Whittaker (hopefully) faces Khamzat Chimaev on October 26th in the co-main event of UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. If he wins, he may want to consider staying ready given Sean Strickland’s tenuous ability to stay out of trouble and stay in foreign countries.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Khalil Rountree Jr. won’t apologize for taking advantage of an opportunity.

UFC CEO Dana White recently announced that Rountree will challenge Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City. The matchup was highly unexpected as Rountree is still under suspension for accidentally ingesting a banned substance. Speaking with MMA Fighting this week, Rountree explained how this all came together.

“I got a call from Hunter [Campbell],” Rountree said. “I was having a bad day that day, dealing with some other stuff, and he was like, ‘Hey, I’ll make your day better, we’ve got this opportunity for you to fight Alex in October.’ It kind of came by surprise, but of course I’m going to accept. That’s the fight I’ve wanted, it’s the fight I’ve been calling for, and I’m excited, I’m happy, I’m grateful.”

Of course, not everyone is as happy as Rountree. Fans and a number of fighters criticized the matchup given Rountree’s suspension and the fact he’s only No. 8 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings. But Rountree isn’t concerned about the naysayers; he’s focused on the people who support him getting this chance.

“I understand that people are upset. Whatever. It’s not my problem, for one,” Rountree said. “It’s not my problem. It’s out of my control. They give me the call — OK, I take it. Let them deal with their own problems. Let them talk to the UFC. Whatever fans are not happy about this, I don’t know why. I couldn’t even call them true fans if you’re not happy about this matchup.

“But for everybody else, they’re absolutely right. It’s going to be exciting from start to finish, and I’m hyped.”

Despite some people’s misgivings, Rountree is currently on a five-fight winning streak, most recently finishing former title challenger Anthony Smith this past December. He also has a unique claim to having already beaten three former GLORY kickboxers in UFC. In that regard, Pereira is like the final boss of GLORY Kickboxing in MMA, a two-division champion who has transitioned seamlessly into UFC. When they meet in the octagon in October, Rountree believes he will add another to the list and make his dreams come true.

“This is what I’ve been working for,” Rountree said. “When I started MMA, everything, my life changed. It all happened kind of by accident, but I stayed strong, I stayed dedicated, and I’ve always had a belief that this was possible. Now I’m finally here and I’m living in this reality that was a dream, so what it means to me is everything. It’s that time I’ve always seen in my mind. Now it’s here.

“I’ve got a message for Alex, and that’s see you in October. Everybody else, nothing. Watch me in October.”

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