Former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre says Tom Aspinall shouldn’t focus too closely on his pursuit of Jon Jones.
Englishman Aspinall, who this passed Renan Barao’s record for being the longest-reigning interim champion in UFC history, has made no secret of his desire to challenge Jones for the undisputed title — even if Jones himself has appeared hesitant to commit despite UFC boss Dana White’s suggestion that he is “100% confident” that bout takes place this year.
But St-Pierre says that Aspinall may need to refocus should the bout remain outside of his grasp.
“I think Tom, he needs to focus on the next task,” St-Pierre told Ariel Helwani, as noted by MMA Fighting.
“I remember when I lost to Matt Serra, I was making the mistake of trying to focus on Matt Serra to try and get my revenge immediately. But I had a few other fights lined up before to get that,” he added. “And if he is only focusing on Jon Jones, and if Jon Jones does not come back right away, he’s not focusing on the right thing. He needs to focus on what is next, the next path. Because the rest, it’s a distraction.
“Things that need to be done will be done. I don’t know what Jon will do, but as a fan, I would love to see this fight. Because in terms of legacy and accomplishment, Jon Jones is the best. And I understand Tom, from his point of view, he’s a proud fighter.
“He wants to beat the best, but now it all depends on what Jon wants to do. If Jon still wants to do this, if he’s compensated fairly, all that plays. So Tom should not focus on that because it’s outside of his control, and he’s wasting a lot of energy focusing on that.”
Of course St-Pierre, who once pursued Matt Hughes for UFC gold, understands Aspinall’s motivation.
“A lot of people want this fight to happen because a lot of people believe he’s the guy that’s going to crack Jon Jones’s code,” he explained.
“As a fan, I want to see this fight. I understand both sides. Jon wants to be compensated. It’s a negotiation game. It’s a chess game. And on the other side, Tom is waiting. I understand both points of view, but Tom needs to focus on what’s next, and the rest, sort of clear your mind and only focus on that thing.”
