Ex-UFC champion comfortable with assessment

Demetrious Johnson believes Tom Aspinall has the physical attributes to beat UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

Interim champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) hopes to get his title unification bout with Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC), who defended his title with a third-round TKO of Stipe Miocic at Saturday’s UFC 309 main event.

Jones wants to be compensated handsomely for a potential Aspinall fight, and Johnson sees Aspinall as the man to beat him.

“I think Tom Aspinall has the speed, athleticism and power to give Jon Jones problems,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “Tom Aspinall is still young and he’s still getting better, but I think this version of Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is very – Tom Aspinall can beat him.

“I feel comfortable saying that just because you’ve got someone who wants to take on Jon Jones and not be afraid. Can Tom Aspinall now run into one of those elbows and a spinning back boot and a flying knee? One thousand percent.”

Johnson’s current heavyweight pecking order goes PFL heavyweight superfight champion Francis Ngannou, Jones, then Aspinall. He believes Ngannou would also be a tough stylistic matchup for Jones.

“I wish I had seen Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall because once again I still think the heavyweight king of the world is probably Francis Ngannou because he never lost the heavyweight championship,” Johnson said. “He knocked out Stipe Miocic, and that’s when Stipe Miocic was a little bit more active. …

“I think Francis has the power factor and the athleticism, and I bet he can probably defend Jon Jones’ takedown, and I bet he can probably handle Jon Jones’ reach.”