Tom Aspinall Set to⁤ Headline UFC London ⁤as Jon Jones’ Legal troubles⁤ Continue

UFC President Dana White expresses confidence in Aspinall,while Jones faces new charges.

The highly anticipated heavyweight title clash between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall has been ⁣indefinitely postponed, leaving fans ⁢and the UFC scrambling for a new main event for UFC London. UFC President Dana White confirmed the news, expressing his disappointment but also his⁤ unwavering faith in Aspinall’s potential.”We lost all that time and money, but we’ll make it up to him,” White stated, referring to the notable investment in the Jones-Aspinall matchup. “Tom Aspinall is a good guy. He’s been incredible ⁢through this whole process that we’ve gone through. He’s ‌been willing to do anything – fight him anywhere at any time and do this. Now he’s like,’I’ll fight anybody. tell me who and I’ll ⁣fight him.’ Aspinall has been great. He’s going‍ to be a great heavyweight champion for us and I’m excited to work with him.”

Jon Jones’ legal Woes Resurface

The postponement of the Jones-Aspinall fight comes on the heels of new ‍legal troubles for the reigning heavyweight champion. News broke on the same​ night as the postponement that⁢ Jones had been charged in Albuquerque on a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident in February. In july, authorities added the charge of “Use of Telephone to Terrify, Intimidate, Threaten, Harass, Annoy or ​Offend,” related to that same incident.These legal issues ⁢are not new for Jones,who has a history‍ of run-ins with the ‌law that have impacted‍ his career.

White’s Past Hesitation with Jones

This isn’t the ⁣first time White has voiced concerns about relying on Jones for a main event slot. Back in 2016, White expressed his reluctance to headline a show with Jones, citing the financial‍ risks associated with his past controversies.

“I don’t (trust him), no. I don’t. In my opinion, I would never ⁢take the risk of headlining a show with Jon Jones again,” White said at the time. “I’d put him on the card,but I‍ wouldn’t headline with him until he consistently gets back on track. Millions of dollars are spent on this. For a ⁢card⁤ to fall apart,and how many​ cards have fallen apart as Jon Jones gets⁤ in trouble for something? So no,I’m not at that place with him.”

Despite ⁣these past statements, the UFC has booked Jones in seven main events sence White ⁣made those claims, highlighting the promotion’s continued belief in his drawing power, even amidst his legal entanglements. However, the latest charges may signal a shift in that approach, paving the way for Aspinall to‍ potentially⁣ headline future major UFC events.