Jon Jones Walks Out on Interview Over Tom Aspinall Questions Ahead of UFC 309

Jon Jones is making headlines yet again, but this time it’s not for his upcoming title defense at UFC 309.

The UFC heavyweight champion declined to sit down with TNT Sports reporter Adam Catterall on Wednesday, citing concerns over potential questions about interim champion Tom Aspinall, a fighter with whom Catterall shares a friendly rapport.

As Jones prepares to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in New York this Saturday, he’s grown increasingly frustrated by the persistent questions about a potential future bout with Aspinall. The build-up to the event has been filled with speculation about whether Jones would eventually face Aspinall to unify their titles.

A clip of the incident shows Jones entering the interview room, only to make a swift exit after greeting Catterall. “Hey, I’m not going to do this interview,” Jones said. “No, because it’s going to be an Aspinall-fest.” Moments later, Jones was seen in the lobby telling Catterall that his decision was “nothing personal” but that “common sense tells me what type of questions I was going to get asked.”

Catterall responded amicably, saying, “You’re entitled to it. Speak to who you want to.”

Jones later returned to the interview room for a session with Nick Peet of TNT Sports, during which he was not asked about Aspinall.

Jones, widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, has built his legacy on an undefeated streak (barring a controversial disqualification loss to Matt Hamill) in the light heavyweight division. His transition to heavyweight saw him claim the title in March 2023 after defeating Ciryl Gane. However, a pectoral injury forced him out of action for several months, delaying his fight with Miocic, originally scheduled for UFC 295 in December.

In their absence, Aspinall stepped up to defeat Sergei Pavlovich and claim the interim heavyweight title, which he defended successfully against Curtis Blaydes in July. Despite Aspinall’s push for a fight with Jones, the reigning champion has remained firm in his disinterest.

Aspinall is set to be the backup fighter for Saturday’s UFC 309 main event and has expressed hope that the winner between Jones and Miocic will agree to a showdown with him.