Ben Askren accuses Dana White of hypocrisy regarding Jon Jones’ delayed heavyweight return

Former UFC welterweight Ben Askren is the latest top name to attempt to push Dana White to let go of the expected Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight.

Jones, the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, is expected to return in November against former titleholder Stipe Miocic. He hasn’t fought since winning the then-vacant title at UFC 285, after suffering an injury that forced his withdrawal from a booking against Miocic at UFC 295.

During Jones’ absence, Tom Aspinall has ascended into one of the heavyweight division’s stars, after winning the interim belt at UFC 295. He most recently defended the interim title at UFC 304 in a first-round knockout of Curtis Blaydes.

Despite the declined fan interest in Jones vs. Miocic, White remains steadfast in booking the fight, delaying Aspinall’s lineal title shot. Askren feels White is giving Jones unprecedented treatment in his insistence to face Miocic and not Aspinall.

Ben Askren questions Dana White over Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall

During a recent episode of Funky and The Champ with Daniel Cormier, Askren pointed out the unique treatment that White is giving Jones.

“I almost feel like maybe Jon [Jones] has some dirt on Dana [White] or something. Because Dana generally wouldn’t put up with this type of behavior,” Askren said. “This is what the UFC has been founded on, whereas boxing [isn’t]… ‘We want the best guys to fight, we want to see who the best guy is, no shenanigans, no padding records to go to 40-0’…the fact that Jon, I don’t know if allowed is the right term, but that Dana is playing along and letting him and Stipe [Miocic] fight, when Stipe is going to be close to four years [out] by the time they fight…

“And you have this young, interim champion who, he’s a beast! He smashes people. The fact that they won’t put them in there together, and there’s this obvious guarantee that Jon beats Stipe, and says ‘I’m done!’. And then you never get to see that.”

Jones and Aspinall are two of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC. Miocic hasn’t fought since a brutal knockout loss to Francis Ngannou in 2021.