Chael Sonnen only sees two options for UFC champ Jon Jones’ future

Chael Sonnen is assured Jon Jones fights Tom Aspinall.

Heavyweight champion Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) continued to dismiss interim champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) after he retained his belt with a TKO of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.

Jones supplied a constructive replace about his combating future, however with Aspinall nonetheless the interim champion, Sonnen says that may solely imply one factor.

“The UFC isn’t with out leverage right here,” Sonnen mentioned on “Good Man/Dangerous Man” with Daniel Cormier. “In the event that they’ve stored the belt round Tom, it’s to let Jon know, ‘It’s no drawback to drag that one off your waist. We’ve bought one other one sitting proper over right here. We’ve bought world champions – they’re actual simple to make over right here on the UFC.’”

UFC CEO Dana White shut down Jones’ ambition to combat mild heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, which provides Sonnen much more confidence that it’s Aspinall or bust for Jones – although Jones isn’t offered on combating Aspinall.

“I’ll let you already know what UFC stands – Jon has two decisions: You combat Tom or you don’t combat,” Sonnen mentioned. “There’s no one else goes to be provided. In actual fact, we’ve bought a reputation that got here off the board (of prospects) when it comes to Alex Pereira.

“Dana put that to absolute relaxation, and when the oddsmakers put it as a 6-to-1 unfold favoring Jones, that combat is gone. So Jon can sit out and never combat – that’s true. However he’s not going to be in a spot the place he might combat another person. It’s principally retire, (or) it’s combat Tom Aspinall.”

Jones just lately posted a collection of tweets wherein he addressed the potential circumstances if he decides to retire. He continued to stay by his phrases of an Aspinall combat not including something to his legacy.