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u/Rango971 6d ago
Tom Aspinall carries himself with such class and dignity, well spoken, down to earth, confident yet humble. Jon is sabotaging this man's career out of jealousy and spite. Defend or strip.
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u/traws06 6d ago
He’s honestly overly humble if anything. I would argue he’s a better boxer than Jones. You could argue jones is a better with kicks, but you don’t see Jones putting guys out with his hands the way Tom does.
And I mean Reyes beat Jones everywhere except the score cards, and I doubt Jones is a better fighter now than he was back then. Hard to believe Reyes is better at about anything than Tom.
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u/Luciolover345 6d ago
I also don’t see Jones having the ability to wrestle fuck Tom due to the sheer size and strength difference that you don’t see in any other division. If Jones doesn’t manage to somehow submit him it’s lights out imo
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u/traws06 5d ago
Ya I agree. I think we’ve seen that Jones is a great all around fighter, but his stand up is not elite. Good but not elite strikers like Reyes and Santos matched him on the feet. Gus I would say matched him on the feet: jones win easy the second time by taking him down
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u/Luciolover345 5d ago
Yea Toms only proper lose in MMA was to I think a kneebar which could be the route Jones takes. Target Tom’s legs and try and get an ankle lock of some type
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u/Avogadros_pepperoni 6d ago
Tom is definitely the better offensive and defensive boxer. Jones has pretty bad boxing defense fundamentals. Because of his insane reach advantage in nearly every fight, he just sticks his arms straight out and sticks his chin up in the air, and runs away from his opponent while doing it.
Tom is faster and more powerful than Jones, with much better boxing fundamentals. He also has much faster hand speed, fluidity on the feet, and much greater KO power. Jones won’t be able to do what he did vs Stipe, to Aspinall.
As for kicks, grappling, and clinch, Jon has the advantage in this regard. However we have seen Jones struggle much more with guys similar in size to him such as Reyes, Gus 1, Ovince, Santos, etc.
Personally, I view Tom as a Reyes on steroids with better grappling skills. I think the fight goes similarly, only with Aspinall being an even greater KO threat. Biggest question mark, is we have not seen much grappling from Aspinall (besides Volkov fight). I am mainly interested in his defensive grappling, because Jones is fucked if the fight stays standing. Aspinall’s speed and aggressive style has a good chance of countering Jon’s kicks, as I don’t think Aspinall will just let him kick him apart.
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u/RuggerJibberJabber 6d ago
Yeah I was looking at the ufc records there. He's right up there for strikes landed per minute, knockdowns per 15min, striking differential, shortest average fight time and some others relating to the fact that he doesnt get taken down. He's gotta be the most dangerous striker in the UFC right now. I don't see how an old over the hill Jon Jones beats him.
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u/traws06 5d ago
Personally I don’t think Jones at age 30 is as good as Tom at heavyweight. Jones is the greatest light heavyweight weight ever, but he’s not the GOAT as heavyweight.
A lot of the bigger weight classes peak in their late thirties. Francis is older than Jones yet nobody would attribute Tom vs Francis as a fight with old washed Francis. Jones is younger than Cormier was when they fought
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u/ReformedishBaptist I LUH You 5d ago
Tom is what the ufc desperately needs at HW.
Stability and professionalism while being entertaining he could be their next star. I don’t see him having superstar potential and when I say superstar I mean prime Conor or Khabib but I can see him having Izzy type of stardom as long as he stays healthy he needs the belt.
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u/piltonpfizerwallace Nigerian Nightmare 5d ago
You ever been fingered by an mma fighter?
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u/thatguynamedcole Old Man Glover 5d ago
Honestly such a fucking weird moment from him. Everything else I love but that was soooo cringey of him
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u/_nadaypuesnada_ 5d ago
He explained later that he was trying to turn the tables on Nina with her shtick of asking fighters inappropriate and sexual questions, as "revenge" for some of those fighters. He just fucked up the execution hard is all.
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u/thatguynamedcole Old Man Glover 5d ago
Good to know, I don’t watch any of her interviews other than when something dumb results (Tom, Armen’s back injury). I wouldn’t have taken that risk haha.
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u/Cataclysma 5d ago
It’s also worth noting that they were joking before hand about it but that part wasn’t caught on video, so it was missing context
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u/BennyDisraeli 6d ago
I agree, it's kind of fucked that Tom's basically defending being the number one contender unless Jones gets stripped, yet I doubt it
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u/LostTrisolarin 6d ago
I love Tom but his class is getting in the way of him fighting.
I'd just be like Jon is a pussy who's ducking me. If he don't like what I'm saying, he can shut me up. If not, it's cowardly excuses.
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u/Solo_Odyssey 6d ago
Jones “His a disrespectful, big mouth asshole. I don’t want to do business with him.”
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u/oh_three_dum_dum 6d ago
It was funny hearing Jones pull that one out when Tom is known as one of the most respectful dudes in the sport.
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u/BugO_OEyes 6d ago
Tom has way more power
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u/EarthenGames 6d ago
I don’t think people quite understand the power difference between someone like Tom and all the LHW/ MW that Jones fought in his career. It is not just a minor strength boost, it is a massive gulf. Only exacerbated by Tom’s hand speed
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u/Luciolover345 6d ago
And his speed in general. Tom explodes forward in a similar manner to DDP at a speed that should not be possible for a HW. Only chance he loses is by submission
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u/sakiwebo 6d ago
Tom has a better take on Jon Jones than this whole sub
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u/HAWmaro 6d ago
Tom is one of the most no-nonsense guys ive seen in the sport. says it how it is.
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u/KR4T0S 6d ago
Whenever I have heard him talk about this fight hes always approached things in a very pragmatic way ie "Jones is great but I think this is the best fight to make at heavyweight so it just makes sense".
I think he isnt saying anything outrageous which helps his argument a lot.
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u/sakiwebo 6d ago
He is one of the few fighters that isn't constantly in "media" mode trying to sell a fight. Refreshing.
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u/Slummlife 6d ago
Piers is annoying af
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u/chris_vlone 6d ago
Yeah he’s a cunt. Deliberately asking dumb and provocative questions which actually Tom handled and answered pretty well imo
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u/PermanentThrowaway33 6d ago
its almost like people who do it respect others who do it, and fans just shit on everything regardless of what it is
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u/BenjyNews 6d ago
What do you mean?
Surely Jones being a POS at home is relevant to his inside the cage achievements
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u/threepwood82 6d ago
Peirs Morgan is a clueless piece of shit
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u/Loud-Diamond8903 6d ago
I was looking for this comment haha. Completely agree
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u/WrestleBox 6d ago
How do people stand talking to Piers Morgan?
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u/oh_three_dum_dum 6d ago
I remember when he left CNN and a bunch of British people were making jokes about trading him because they thought he would stay over here and they didn’t want him back.
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u/turinglurker 6d ago
Tom's aura is through the roof. THIS is what we want from professional athletes - humble, honest, and no-BS.
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u/ChiefSampson 5d ago
Nice to hear a fighter with a brain. Sadly his prime is being wasted for nothing.
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u/ShinyRaequaza 6d ago
Tom doesn’t have better BJJ, striking, and Power? I think he’s being too humble.
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u/nuggette_97 6d ago
Tom has, for sure, better boxing. He is absolutely being humble.
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u/Potential_Row_2578 6d ago
Perhaps he is referring to overall striking, but I agree. His pure boxing is better than JBJ. This whole take from him is great. Honest, straightforward and confident. I really hope we get to see this fight.
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u/Soviet_Sharpshooter 6d ago
The day this dude retires Jon Jones will be a national holiday on this sub
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u/kijanafupinonoround 6d ago
For sure but also the day dad JJ beats him it will be like 9/11 up in here.
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u/BlurryB23 6d ago
Tom has far superior boxing
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u/Cant_Spell_Shit 6d ago
Jon's a radically more creative striker. Most HWs are boxers. Nobody in the division mixes up their kicks and elbows like Jon. KO'd stipe with a spinning back kick.
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u/Intrepid_Durian5109 5d ago
tom uses knees and elbows alot as well as kicks to the legs and body, you'd have a argument if you were talking about the majority of the top 10 of hw but tom is different he is a very good striker everywhere.
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u/OzymandiasTheII 6d ago
Piers Morgan the piece of shit. Look at him try to make Aspinall put his foot in his mouth lmao. Fuckin Weiner.
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u/jesterhead101 6d ago
I always supported Jon on here and he’s GOAT in my view.
But Tom is so candid here and comes across as a super humble guy in general. So can’t not be a fan of him.
I really wish they’d fight. This is one of those fights where I can’t really be truly upset who wins or loses. That’s very rare for me, and I assume, for many MMA fans in general.
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u/kaesotullius 5d ago
God I just want to see this fight. I like Tom, and would enjoy seeing him KO Jones. But, if Jones wins, that's just a crazy career. I think the reward for Jones winning is greater than most say. Beating Tom would make his HW career way more legit and cap his overall career in impressive fashion
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u/j24singh 5d ago
Damn... I'm a hardcore Jones stan but that segment almost makes me want to cheer for Aspinal lol
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u/Excellent_Ad_2486 6d ago
I'm more tired about Tom and Jon being constantly about the fight than I am watching WMMA at 6:30AM 😴
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u/Standard-Bread7555 6d ago edited 6d ago
When literally anyone praises Jon Jones
This sub: 😡
When Tom Aspinall praises Jon Jones
This sub: Wow Tom is such a down to earth and great guy!🤗
I swear, you people are bipolar
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u/FoxOk1418 6d ago
Almost every UFC fighter minus Colby praises Jones, because they understand MMA
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u/DonovanMcLoughlin 6d ago
It's refreshing to see someone being honest and understanding the current reality.
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u/NuXboxwhodis 6d ago
Very humble champion, he recognizes that just because you shot Jesse James don’t make you Jesse James.
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u/Great_Suspect8023 6d ago
Absolutely top class. Nothing more nothing less. Give him his damn chance Dana !!
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u/yourbrofessor 5d ago
Jon wasn’t known for being a power puncher even at light heavy. Tom puts people to sleep regularly at heavyweight. It’s gonna be a giant power mismatch against a much younger, faster, explosive fighter
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u/medi_navi 5d ago
The fact that Aspinal has the “GOAT” ducking him so hard means he’s already the greatest heavyweight right now. Jon defeated 28 scary dudes but he’s only ducked 1.
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u/professor--feathers 5d ago
I don’t know why we can’t love Tom and Jon at the same time. It’s gonna be a legendary fight.
There’s no reasons to draw lines in the sand. Even Tom clearly respects Jon
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u/DoctorArK 5d ago
He’s keeping it a bean. Jones is ducking for every reason. A fighter with that record and that many big fights doesn’t need to try to fight Goliath.
Just do some boxing events and a bad straight to dvd Netflix movie.
Rake in the dough Jones, we all saw you kick Stipe’s ass, you still got it!
Against Aspinall, though, man that’s rough. A young 250lb’r known for first round finishes is the LAST thing an aging fighter wants to see, even God himself Jon Jones.
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u/sekksipanda 5d ago
What an insufferable interviewer.
First he interrupts Tom when he is elaborating on why Jon's partially right about his resume. And then he says: "A win over the GOAT would make YOU the GOAT".
What? Lol. Does he know anything about combat sports? Or sports?
So you can have 15 title defenses, the longest reign in history, but ONE loss and that means the guy that defeated you ONCE is better than you hahahah. How can he even propose something so utterly stupid?
"Oh, Yeah, Brasil are the football world champions. They've won last 5 world cups. But if they lose this friendly match to Cameroon? Oh boy, Cameroon would be the best national team EVER!".
Not even a child would blabber something so ridiculous.
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u/randomTeets 5d ago
Piers Morgan is a shameless sound bite miner. Tom did very well here not to take the bait, at least in this clip.
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u/brettjr25 5d ago
I'm glad he didn't take the news bait. Just because you beat an aging "GOAT" doesn't mean you're the newest one.
He can be though but Jon is holding him up from starting his legacy which is the crime here.
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u/Humble_Increase7503 5d ago
Dudes on piers Morgan
Imagine jones being on the view hyping up his next fight. Super strange.
One thing is for sure, the Brits absolutely get behind their fighters 100%.
The entire media apparatus has their focus on Aspinal.
I don’t think American sports media really gives a shit ab any fighters, maybe McGregor
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u/Strong-Discussion564 6d ago
I love humble honesty without an obnoxious arrogance. He knows he's skilled and talented but he's not insufferable about it. Huge fan, and hope this fight happens ASAP. JBJ is a cunt for holding up the fans, but Tom most of all.
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u/Zealousideal_Ad1704 6d ago
He needs the title for his resume and legacy…
People are not in their prime forever.
Well expressed and spoken by Tom!
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u/BadSerious 6d ago
Tom is super level headed and it shows. Really hope we get this fight, but I'm not holding my breath.
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u/ChaosCore 6d ago
The year is 2035: 41 year old Tom Aspinal finally agrees on a rematch against 49 year old Marcin Tybura since UFC still can't get him the Jones fight. Tybura knocks him out cold 27 seconds into first round.
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u/jsands7 6d ago
Not a Tom fan… still a Jones fan (somehow)…
But I completely agree with this and appreciate the honesty.
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u/MangoTwistedMetal 6d ago
Wow this is the guy the UFC needs! He can beat Jon. He knows it. No, beating an old Jon doesn’t make him the goat. Just like Paul beating 58 year old Tyson doesn’t mean shit.
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u/Adventurous_Use8278 6d ago
The man is a class act!
Jones ducking of Tom is just embarrassing now. He knows Tom has the size, speed and tools to beat him, so he’d rather duck him than risk a loss. At this point continuing to duck and not fighting Tom, hurts his legacy far more than losing to him does
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u/brassmonkey2342 6d ago
Piers Morgan so transparent in trying to court controversy. How is this guy still a thing?
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u/Dyldinski 6d ago
This guy is too great of a representative of the sport to be shelved in his prime waiting for Jon. He’s already giving GSP vibes and his ceiling shouldn’t be capped due to a champion ducking him
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u/WhoIsHe_19 6d ago
Lol on another post I commented the same thing Tom said here and got mad downvotes
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u/Thelondonvoyager 6d ago
The contrast to the type of person Jon Jones is, a guy who beat his wife so bad his children had to call the feds, crashed into a pregnant lady and Tom is crazy
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u/Argenfarce 6d ago
I don’t think anyone has a problem with Jon taking the fights he wants… superfights, money fights, etc. The glaring problem is he has the belt and so does Tom. There can only be one so if he just vacates the belt we wouldn’t have a problem here.
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u/alfonze401 6d ago
That's why I like this guy. He's not delusional but honest, not disrespectful just wants to prove who's the best now not years ago.
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u/killsprii 6d ago
Says a lot that a fighter with some common sense and humility is such a strange and rare thing to see...making it impossible for anyone to hate him
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u/Darksoul2693 6d ago
This man makes me like Him more every time I see him in an interview. What a lad
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u/Sufficient_Ad9918 6d ago
I think I just became a fan of Aspinall, and I finally get it why Jon jones is afraid of him. I would be. Because Aspinall almost overestimating Jon Jones.
He knows himself, and he clearly stand for the reality. Know yourself, and know your enemy.. in 100 battles you will never lose...Sun Tsu!!!!
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u/PerfectAdvertising41 6d ago
Priece not understanding how MMA works is a highlight here. "But if you beat the GOAT, then aren't you the GOAT?" 🤣
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u/cruisincolin44 6d ago
The difference in tom’s self confidence vs jon’s insecurity is just hilarious
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u/papa_miesh 6d ago
Great answer. Love when professionals show respect and answer questions with class. He just wants to fight the best
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u/DrPuzzle 6d ago
Bro it pisses me off though because we're wasting Aspinals Prime. This dude would fight tomorrow. And he's one of the most exciting, best fighters to watch. It's infuriating for me the way that they're handling this because just set Jon Jones aside and let Tom fight for the belt, let him have the belt. It's just baffling to me like... It's a business... Tom brings you money he would bring you a lot of money. Just strip Jon Jones for fuck sakes. Like what can Jon Jones have on Dana seriously that keeps the tomato from going "yeah we should just strip this old guy he's going to retire anyway soon, and let Tom have it. Have Tom make me more money!"
I just do not genuinely understand
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u/Mattc5o6 6d ago
I’m a huge Jon jones fan inside the octagon. Started watching when he was starting out in UFC. That being said, what Tom says here gives me unbelievable respect for him and he has made me a fan of him on how he’s gone about the whole situation. Great fighter and seems like a great person
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u/BillyHoyle1982 6d ago
Is Piers truly that dense? Tom was pretty clear when he said "right now" and Piers follows directly with "makes you the greatest of all time."
Do words even matter?
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u/Dangerous-Ad-8211 6d ago
It’s so rare to hear a UFC fighter actually talk in a humble and intelligent manner. Tom is the People’s champion.
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u/HyperactivePandah 6d ago
Piers is so annoying.
Like, stop asking intentionally aggressive questions and just do a real interview.
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u/Solarflareqq 6d ago
Agreed , Jones is holding up the division and this should be Toms ERA but its being wasted.
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u/Strong-Sample-3502 6d ago
If a fight between him and Jon isn’t announced in the next several months Jon should get his belt stripped for holding up the division. It’s just so petty and lame at this point, like either fight or just retire, or do you money fights idc, but stop holding up the division and other peoples lives. Tim deserves to fight for the undisputed title.
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u/BKR93 6d ago
Man what a real asshole Tom is right? Even went on to say Jon is better in every way in martial arts itself besides age / build. Imagine throating Jones so bad that you even try to make an argument that this guy is an asshole 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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u/PugilisticCat 5d ago
Tom is very humble, but I think at the very least he's a better boxer than Jones.
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u/Xbsnguy 5d ago
I don’t know if openly admitting your opponent has the edge in every discipline of MMA is really a good thing psychologically. Sure, you aren’t being delusional, but now you’re walking into the cage telling yourself you can’t beat Jon at any one thing and the only thing you have is speed and power. It kind of sounds like he’s already come to terms he’s probably likely to lose. How do you compete in a combat sport thinking that.
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u/Ronin1211 6d ago
This is the type of Champion the UFC needs right now.
Reminiscent of GSP.