When Daniel Cormier questioned Tom Aspinall being "respectful" toward Jon Jones: "What does respectful get you?"

Daniel Cormier once criticized Tom Aspinall’s respectful stance on Jon Jones while eyeing a potential title clash. Aspinall has left no stone unturned in his pursuit of a championship unification bout with 'Bones' after winning the interim heavyweight title at UFC 295 in November 2023.

However, Jones has yet to entertain the challenge, having chosen a different route by defending his title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. Afterward, the reigning heavyweight champion has shown minimal interest in facing Aspinall, frequently indicating that only a substantial payday could convince him into the bout, or that he might instead choose to retire.

In a video on his YouTube channel in August 2024, Cormier, who has a storied history with 'Bones', offered his perspective on Aspinall’s respectful call-out of Jones during his post-fight interview at UFC 304. ‘DC’ suggested that the Englishman might secure his dream fight sooner if he employed some trash talk instead of taking the polite approach:

"He was very respectful in that interview, but Chael [Sonnen] and I had a discussion the other day about post-fight interviews and what does respectful get you. It doesn't really get you all that you want. Now, respect is the window with this dude, and he's just telling it how it is."

He added:

"But here's one thing about Jon Jones, and this could be from me because I'm a person who lived it with him: the thing about Jon Jones is he doesn't like disrespect. He can't ignore it. He can't ignore when you take shots at him. That is why, as Chael said, it was very easy to get under his skin."

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (2:10):

---

When Daniel Cormier predicted how a potential Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight could unfold

During an episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy show with Chael Sonnen in March, Daniel Cormier shared his insights on how the potential heavyweight title unification bout between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall could unfold.

‘DC,’ who has faced Jones twice in his career, predicted that Aspinall will face a formidable challenge and emphasized that it will become even more difficult for him to control ‘Bones’ as the fight progresses into the later rounds:

"He’s durable, he’s hard to fight, and Tom Aspinall is going to find that out... At the end of the day, when you get in there with that dude, don’t start rethinking things. Because [if] you start rethinking things in there with that dude, he’s going to run right through you. You cannot start going, 'Hey, man, it’s a little harder than I thought,' because he is going to put it on you."

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (30:20):