Jon Jones WALKS OUT of UFC 309 interview because of Tom Aspinall – ‘I’m not going to do it’
Jon Jones walked out of an interview to avoid being questioned about Tom Aspinall.
The UFC heavyweight champion defends his title against Stipe Miocic at New York's iconic Madison Square Garden this Saturday in the main event of UFC 309.
Jones hasn't fought in the UFC since he returned in March 2023, after a three-year hiatus, and submitted Ciryl Gane to claim the 265 lb belt for the first time.
His 42-year-old opponent, Miocic, was knocked out by Francis Ngannou in his last octagon appearance at UFC 260 in March 2021.
"How's it going," Jones said as he approached Adam Catterall who was set up to do an interview for TNT Sports.
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"I'm good, how are you?" Catterall responded as he prompted Jones to take a seat in order to get proceedings underway.
However, just as Catterall takes a seat, 'Jones 'Bones' begins to have second thoughts.
"Hey I'm not going to do this interview," Jones says, as he heads for the exit.
"Because It's going to be an Aspinall fest. I'm not going to do it."
In the aftermath of the exit, Jones approached Catterall again and said: "Hey bro, nothing personal. I see how close you guys are.
"Common sense tells me what type of questions I'm going to get asked," to which Catterall replied, "You're entitled to speak to whoever you want to speak to."
Jones did indeed go on to do the interview, instead with Nick Peet, who co-hosts the Fight Disciples Podcast alongside Catterall.
Catterall meanwhile later explained his frosty encounter with the American MMA legend during an appearance on talkSPORT Drive.
He told talkSPORT: "I've been very vocal about that situation and obviously, people know that I do a TV show with Tom, and I am close to him. I'm not going to lie about that.
"Of course, he knows that, but I've been in these situations plenty of times before, covering boxing and MMA, and I'd like to think I'm pretty professional.
"I'm always going to give people a first shake. I want to have a proper conversation. Of course, I'm going to challenge narratives that are thrown back at me, because that's what I do.
"That's what proper journalism is and he is in the headspace of preparing for a fight on Saturday night.
"If he doesn't want to have that proper conversation, then he's well within his rights and entitled to not have that conversation."
"The arguments that I've been making and arguing throughout fight week would have happened in the interview if we would have had the conversation," added Catterall.
"[He says] 'What has Tom Aspinall done?' That's Jon's basic first line of answer.
"Well, he's been five of the top 10 guys. He's the interim champion. He's won eight fights in the UFC, he's finished every single one of them and he's done seven of them in the first round.
"It's ridiculous. If you compare that to when Jon became champion back in 2011 it blows Jon's numbers out of the water.
"So he's done more than enough to earn that opportunity. The reason Jon that Jon does not want to fight Tom Aspinall, and I have no problem saying to you and Jon's face is that he doesn't fully believe he can beat him.
"And at this stage in his life and his career, Jon's an undefeated fighter, and he wants to protect that legacy. He doesn't want to fight the next best guy. It's as simple as that."
UFC 309's main card is set to begin at 3am GMT for UK fans on Sunday, November 17.
The New York event also has the returning Michael Chandler squaring off with Charles Oliveira in what is set to be a blockbuster five-round co-main event.
Chandler was originally scheduled to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 303 in June, but the latter pulled out after suffering a toe injury.
The American has laid out an ambitious plan for 2025 that includes a lightweight title bout against Islam Makhachev, after an eventual bout with McGregor.
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UFC legend Jim Miller could potentially make his last-ever octagon appearance in the prelims, as he contests his 57th MMA bout against Damon Jackson.
Wales' Oban Elliot, who told marvelbet369.com exclusively that it was his dream to contest a bout in Madison Square Garden, fights Bassil Hafez in the early prelims, which is scheduled to begin at 11 pm GMT on Saturday night.