Daniel Cormier believes that Tom Aspinall should be the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. Aspinall recently won the interim heavyweight title after defeating Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. Due to an injury to Jon Jones, who was supposed to face Stipe Miocic in a heavyweight title fight, the UFC created the interim title. Cormier suggests that, given Jones’ expected recovery time, the UFC should have Jones vacate the title, making Aspinall the undisputed champion.
Cormier argues that Aspinall is the future of the heavyweight division and should be recognized as the undisputed champion. He acknowledges Jones as the undisputed champion based on his victory over Ciryl Gane but notes that if Jones is only going to fight Miocic in the future, and that fight is months away, Aspinall should be recognized as the champion in the interim.
While Cormier acknowledges that Jones’ claim to the heavyweight title is valid, he expresses concerns about Jones’ upcoming fight with Miocic. Cormier worries about Miocic, who is 41 years old, having to wait several more months for the fight, as aging fighters may find it challenging to maintain peak performance during extended training periods.
Aspinall shares Cormier’s perspective, stating that Jones should be stripped of the title due to his injury, and he is willing to fight Miocic while Jones recovers. However, the UFC seems inclined to stick with the original plan of having Jones defend his title against Miocic in 2024. Cormier expresses concerns about Miocic’s age and potential challenges in training as fighters get older.