By BBC (Sports) | Created at 2024-11-15 00:43:38 | Updated at 2024-11-15 05:34:42
5 hours ago
Jon Jones told fans to "knock it off" as they roared Tom Aspinall's name at the news conference promoting UFC 309 in New York on Saturday.
Jones is set to defend his heavyweight title against fellow American Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden, but it is interim champion Aspinall who has dominated the narrative this week.
Fans chanted "Tommy, Tommy" as UFC president Dana White said the winner "should absolutely fight" Aspinall next.
Jones, 37, has spent much of fight week batting away questions about Aspinall, saying he had no interest in a match-up with the 31-year-old Briton.
White made his comments standing beside Jones, who broke out into a smile when the crowd began chanting in response.
"I have no reaction. Right now I am focused on Saturday. That's the biggest thing for me right now," said Jones of White's comments.
"I did a really long press conference yesterday. I feel like I broke it down for everyone, exactly how I felt [about Aspinall]."
Aspinall stepped in on 17 days' notice to beat Russia's Sergei Pavlovich for the interim title one year ago after injury forced Jones out of his original bout with Miocic.
But rather than schedule a unification title bout, Jones was rebooked against 42-year-old Miocic.
Jones said he will not fight Aspinall because "it does nothing for my legacy", before using an expletive to describe him.
Aspinall, the back-up fighter to the main event, has poked fun at Jones in an attempt to lure him into an undisputed fight, buying his dog a toy rubber duck after fans claimed Jones was "ducking" him.
Aspinall then shared a post on social media of him wearing a T-shirt which says "Hello Jon", and "I have nothing against you personally, I just think I'm better than ya".
While Jones smiled on stage and joked with a vocal crowd, the endless talk of Aspinall has irked the two-weight UFC champion.
He walked out of an interview with TNT Sports before it began, concerned he would have to field more questions about Aspinall with the British broadcaster.
Jones, the youngest UFC champion in the company's history, was hailed on stage as the greatest ever by White.
He has just one loss on his record, a 2009 disqualification defeat by Matt Hamill.
"As long as this guy is active he's the best," White said.
Miocic, meanwhile, mostly kept his answers short.
The Ohio fighter is a two-time heavyweight champion, widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history, but is a big underdog in his contest with Jones.
He has not fought since defeat by Francis Ngannou in 2021, but victory over Jones would mean he becomes the promotion's first three-time heavyweight champion.
After Jones took issue with language he used in an interview, saying "respect was out of the window", Miocic dismissed his opponent's complaints.
"[Jones] was calling me out saying he was going to beat my ass in front of a whole arena. Sorry for defending myself," Miocic said.
The face-off passed without major incident, although Jones refused the offer of a handshake from Miocic.
