"He was Godzilla in downtown Tokyo" - MMA insider gives hard-hitting reminder about Jon Jones' light heavyweight reign, slams fan for unfair criticism

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has attracted criticism for his apparent unwillingness to fight interim champion Tom Aspinall. It has even made fans question his legacy in MMA, but veteran insider Luke Thomas recently shut down those claims.

In a recent Q&A session on Thomas' YouTube channel, a fan criticized Jones for ducking Aspinall and even claimed 'Bones' left the light heavyweight division when it got competitive. The 45-year-old MMA insider found the claim baffling.

Having lived through all of Jones' fights in the UFC, Thomas passionately defended the 37-year-old champion's legacy despite having problems with his character.

"Jon Jones beat the s*it out of 205 year after year after year. He demolished it. I've said this before, he was Godzilla in downtown Tokyo, demolishing it. They couldn’t do shit to him," Thomas said.

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Moreover, he even asserted 'Bones' has a claim to be GOAT just with his light heavyweight title run, having defeated the likes of Daniel Cormier, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, and other big names.

"Jon's 205 resume is unimpeachable. It is f**king ludicrous to argue anything different. In fact, it's so good that even if he didn't fight at heavyweight, I still think he would have a case as the best to ever do it just on what he did at 205 alone," Thomas added.

Check out Luke Thomas' comments below (27:56):

Ex-UFC title challenger urges Jon Jones to show respect to Tom Aspinall

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy is skeptical that Jon Jones will ever fight Tom Aspinall. Hardy noted that older veterans had given Jones the opportunity, and it is only right 'Bones' do the same.

Speaking in the recent interview on Submission Radio, Hardy criticized Jones, citing that champions should defend the title against the next best challenger. Hardy said:

"Do I think we'll see Jon Jones fight Tom Aspinall? Honestly, right now, I don't think we will. And that's disappointing because, win or lose, I would love to see Jon Jones step in there and at least give Tom Aspinall the respect of having a shot. Because, I mean, Stipe just did it for Jon. You know, a lot of fighters fought Jon toward the end of their careers when they didn't need to, Rampage, etc."

The 42-year-old is confident Aspinall is not on Jones' plans, even sarcastically claiming 'Bones' would be elected to the White House before a fight with the interim heavyweight champion.

Check out Dan Hardy's comments below (31:01):

About the author

Safeer M S is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda, having delved into the sport professionally since 2024. His journey into baseball was sparked by Shohei Ohtani’s remarkable MLB performances, which ignited his passion for the game. Safeer’s enthusiasm for fantasy baseball further fueled his engagement with the sport.

Safeer supports baseball stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge, with Shohei Ohtani's dual-threat dominance being his most memorable baseball moment. He admires Willie Mays for his athleticism and historic achievements in pinch-hitting and stealing bases.

In addition to his baseball expertise, Safeer is deeply passionate about combat sports, which he has been reporting on since 2022. His journey into combat sports began with Karate lessons in school, followed by boxing training. Films like Rocky 4, Never Back Down, and Warrior inspired his love for MMA, and witnessing Demetrious Johnson's victory over Kyoji Horiguchi solidified his commitment to the sport.

When not immersed in sports, Safeer enjoys playing football, working out, and watching anime or thriller movies.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi