{"id":273221,"date":"2025-04-02T09:25:32","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T09:25:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/02\/ufc-insider-says-jon-jones-vs-tom-aspinall-bout-bigger-than-potential-islam-makhachev-vs-ilia-topuria-superfight\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:09:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:09:00","slug":"ufc-insider-says-jon-jones-vs-tom-aspinall-bout-bigger-than-potential-islam-makhachev-vs-ilia-topuria-superfight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/02\/ufc-insider-says-jon-jones-vs-tom-aspinall-bout-bigger-than-potential-islam-makhachev-vs-ilia-topuria-superfight\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC insider says Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall bout bigger than potential Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria superfight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"4842318\" data-slug-id=\"2439857\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The title unification bout between UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and interim title holder Tom Aspinall is one of the most highly anticipated matchups of 2025. While many fans believe that the fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria could achieve similar commercial success, former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has expressed a different opinion.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent Instagram post, the former UFC two-weight title challenger and analyst shared his thoughts on the subject. He concluded that under the current circumstances, the fight between Makhachev and Topuria cannot match the size and significance of the Jones vs. Aspinall showdown.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Ilia vs. Islam right now, and I know there are some n** huggers out there that just think that&#8217;s the biggest fight, it&#8217;s not! The biggest fight of 2025 will be Jones vs. Aspinall. So any other fight that you&#8217;re doing, you need to beat that fight. There&#8217;s no reason to make a fight if it can&#8217;t be number one.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p><em>Check out Chael Sonnen&#8217;s comments below:<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"bottom-tagline top\" data-tab=\"top\">\n<p>Get the latest updates on One Championship <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/mma\/one-championship-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\" class=\"bottom_tagline_link\" data-tab=\"top\">Rankings<\/a> at Sportskeeda and more<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Although there is considerable fan interest in Jones vs. Aspinall, the fight has not materialized so far. While Jones has changed his stance on facing Aspinall several times, UFC boss <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/dana-white\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Dana White<\/a> reiterated that the fight will eventually take place. That said, the negotiations have not reached to a stage where the promotion can announce the date.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Topuria recently vacated the featherweight title to kick off his lightweight title run. However, Makhachev has reportedly refused to give him an immediate title shot at 155 pounds.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>Chael Sonnen explains how UFC can elevate Islam Makhachev&#8217;s next fight to level of Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall<\/h2>\n<p>Ilia Topuria and former lightweight champion <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/charles-oliveira\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Charles Oliveira<\/a> have been campaigning for a title shot against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/islam-makhachev\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Islam Makhachev<\/a>. However, Chael Sonnen thinks that the UFC will be able to sell their potential fights against Makhachev a lot easier if they were to face each other.<\/p>\n<p>In the aforementioned video, Sonnen explained:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;You&#8217;d have a legitimate shot of beating the night of business, Aspinall-Jones, if you got Topuria one fight first. Not to mention, there is only one dude in the world, and he sits on the fight island and wants to see Oliveira fight Islam. Literally, nobody wants that fight. But it would be really different if Charles was to beat Ilia Topuria first. It would be a very different offering.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>While Makhachev has not commented on his potential next opponents recently, Topuria and Oliveira have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/mma\/news-ilia-topuria-shares-brutal-response-giving-charles-oliveira-a-bit-culture-asked-go-walk-do-bronxs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">embroiled in an online rivalry<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Rajneesh Suhas Reddy<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script> \nvar fbPixelFired = false;\nvar pixelID = \"952063904834769\";\ndocument.addEventListener(\"scroll\", loadFBPixel, { once: true, passive: true });\ndocument.addEventListener(\"mousemove\", loadFBPixel, { once: true, passive: true });\nfunction loadFBPixel() {\nif(fbPixelFired) {\nreturn;\n}\nfbPixelFired = true;\n!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? 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