Tom Aspinall: "I have a theory” - Former UFC champ believes Jon Jones staged walking out of NELK Boys interview over Tom Aspinall question

Jon Jones was recently interviewed by Kyle Forgeard, one of the founding members of the NELK Boys, a group of Canadian and American college-aged guys who founded a YouTube channel and entertainment company. During the interview, Jones was asked what the UFC needed to do to secure a fight deal for him to face Tom Aspinall.

At the time of the interview, 'Bones' was the UFC heavyweight champion, while Aspinall was the interim heavyweight champion. Despite the division having two champions, Jones did not appear at all interested in facing Aspinall, much to the frustration of the fans.

When Jones was asked about the Aspinall fight during his aforementioned interview with Forgeard, the American stood up and exited the interview. However, former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping believes that the incident was staged by 'Bones'.

Bisping's comments came during a recent vlog posted to his YouTube channel, where he said:

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"I don't know what's going on there, but I do have a theory. I think that whole thing was bulls**t. I think it was was all bulls**t, I think [Jones] spoke to the NELK Boys, whatever his name is, that guy who was interviewing him. Kyle. And told him to ask [Jones] that and told [Forgeard] that he was going to walk off. 'Cause no one looked surprised and the acting was very good."

Check out Michael Bisping discussing Jon Jones below (10:05):

Dana White says Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall was a done-deal before 'Bones' retired

Jon Jones stunned the MMA world on June 21 when it was officially confirmed that he would be retiring from MMA. With the former two-division champion having shared minimal interest in facing Tom Aspinall in a title unification bout, pressure was mounting on 'Bones' to make a decision about his future, and he did just that.

But in a fascinating revelation, UFC CEO Dana White has claimed that the bout between Jones and Aspinall was a done deal prior to the American's decision to lay down his gloves.

White's comments came during a recent interview with TheMacLife, where he said:

"The fight was done. We had the fight done a long time ago. Why he decided not to fight, you guys will have to ask him that... [Jones] was offered what he deserves for that fight.... I've said it a million times, I'll say it again, [Jones] has never ducked anybody."

Check out Dana White's comments on Jon Jones below (0:20):

About the author

Liam is a MMA and Boxing writer at Sportskeeda. His journey into MMA journalism began with a high school diploma in 2017, but his passion for writing led him to diverse experiences, including internships in research and writing roles and accounting work.

Liam's fascination with MMA was sparked by Conor McGregor, with Dustin Poirier's bout against Dan Hooker in 2020 sealing his love for the sport. Poirier remains Liam's favorite fighter, whom he admires for his attitude, fighting style, and persona both inside and outside the cage. He is an advocate for the removal of the 12-6 elbow rule in MMA.

Liam strives to report precise and relevant information by cross-checking his work, reaching out to relevant sources for comments, and adhering to Sportskeeda's guidelines. His work has been recognized on popular MMA platforms, with his article headlines featuring in YouTube recaps and appearing onscreen during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience.

Outside of work, Liam enjoys playing cricket, practising Brazilian jiu-jitsu, cooking, music, and reading.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi