Tom Aspinall: Jon Jones’ failed drug tests rule him out of GOAT conversation

Tom Aspinall has a reason why he doesn’t consider Jon Jones to be at the top of the GOAT list.

While Jones is regularly in discussion for the best athletes to ever compete in MMA, having captured UFC titles in two divisions, including light heavyweight where he compiled a 20-1 (1 NC) record before recently moving up to heavyweight. Along the way, Jones has beaten a litany of legends and Hall of Famers, and his only official loss was a disqualification against Matt Hamill in December 2009.

Jones’ record is not without blemish, as in addition to legal issues outside of the cage, he has also been involved in several drug-testing controversies. It’s that aspect of Jones’ story that has Aspinall reluctant to call him the greatest fighter of all time.

“Let me first start by saying Jon is absolutely elite, and I completely agree with the notion that he’s one of the best fighters ever,” Aspinall said in an interview with Piers Morgan. “Potentially [the greatest], but the way that I look at is he has failed a couple of drug tests. To me, that rules you out of being the best of all-time. For me, personally.”

Jones first tested positive for a banned substance ahead of a high-profile rematch with Daniel Cormier at UFC 200, which took place in July 2016. The result forced Jones out of the fight and resulted in the fighter receiving a one-year suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency, with the USADA noting that Jones likely took a tainted supplement and was not intentionally skirting the rules.

However, following a re-booking of his fight with Cormier at UFC 214 in July 2017 that Jones won with a spectacular head kick, Jones would see that result overturned when he again tested positive for a banned substance. Jones again claimed he was the victim of tainted supplements and it was eventually ruled that he would receive a 15-month suspension.

Morgan asked Aspinall if Jones’ failed test make him a cheat, and Aspinall didn’t equivocate.

“Yeah, of course it does,” Aspinall said. “If you’re on steroids or whatever—I don’t think he was on steroids, but he was on PEDs, performance-enhancing drugs. If you’re on PEDs and your opponent isn’t, that’s absolutely cheating in my book unless you’re both allowed to do it.”

Jones was embroiled in another drug-testing controversy ahead of a title defense against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 in October 2018. After inconsistencies were found in Jones’ pre-fight drug testing, the event was moved from Las Vegas to Inglewood, Calif., where the California State Athletic Commission determined that this issue was caused by a “pulsing effect” from his 2017 case. Jones has long maintained that with UFC no longer working with USADA and other changes to drug-testing protocol, his failed test from UFC 214 and the ensuing no-contest should be expunged from his record.

Given those controversies, Aspinall—currently the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion—is still interested in a long-pursued unification bout with Jones, as long as Jones is clean.

“If he’s not using them now, yeah, I think so,” Aspinall said when asked if Jones should be allowed to fight him. “Absolutely.”