Daniel Cormier reveals that Jon Jones should have faced Tom Aspinall, but admits: 'He doesn't need to'.

Daniel Cormier proudly displays his UFC belts. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/danielcormier

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Daniel Cormier has once again weighed in on one of the most controversial debates in MMA in the last year: the absence of a fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall . Although he believes that the former heavyweight champion (120,2kg) should have shared the octagon with the Briton before retiring, the former two-time UFC champion acknowledged that the career built by his former rival makes this challenge not an obligation.

During a Q&A session published on his YouTube channel, Cormier responded to a fan about Jones' decision to end his career without facing Aspinall, then the interim champion and later promoted to undisputed champion of the division. According to the commentator, the fight would have represented the ideal ending for the division, but it's not a determining factor in assessing the American's greatness.

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“Everything was fine when you were beating all of us. The first time I fought Jones, I was 36 years old. I think Jon should have fought Tom Aspinall , but he doesn’t need to,” Cormier stated.

The potential duel stirred the MMA world for months. With the Englishman on the rise and publicly demanding the unification of the belts, the confrontation was considered one of the most important fights of the event. However, negotiations never progressed, and Jon Jones chose to retire as champion, paving the way for Aspinall to permanently assume the title.

The statement gains even more weight coming from one of his greatest rivals. Despite arguing that the fight should have happened, Cormier believes his former opponent's career transcends this debate. In the ex-champion's view, facing the Briton would have been the perfect ending to a historic career, but it's not a requirement to solidify the American as one of the greatest fighters of all time.

Relive the historic rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.

Daniel Cormier plans future fight against Jon Jones . Photo: Reproduction/X

The two were involved in one of the most intense rivalries in UFC history, facing each other twice. In their first encounter in 2015, Jones defeated his rival by unanimous decision. In the rematch in 2017, 'Bones' won by technical knockout, but the result was later changed to "no contest" after the then-champion tested positive for a banned substance in an anti-doping test.

Even years after the end of their rivalry inside the octagon, Cormier remains one of the most respected voices when analyzing Jon Jones ' decisions . And although he considers the fight against Tom Aspinall to have been the ideal final chapter in the former champion's career, he admits that the legacy built by his former opponent makes any further proof of his greatness in the sport unnecessary.

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