Chael Sonnen says Tom Aspinall could suffer a Ronda Rousey-esque collapse against Jon Jones

Chael Sonnen thinks if Tom Aspinall gets put into a ‘long game’ scenario against Jon Jones, it’ll lead to his undoing, similar to that of UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey.

Aspinall defended the UFC interim heavyweight title by knocking out Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. A showdown against the Jones vs. Stipe Miocic winner is likely next for Aspinall unless he wants to remain active and defend the belt again.

Aspinall has emerged as one of the UFC’s top pound-for-pound fighters and is seen by many as the future of the heavyweight division. Meanwhile, Jones is the present, having defeated Ciryl Gane in his return at UFC 285 last year.

UFC CEO Dana White believes if Jones defeats Miocic in November, he’d likely stick around for one more showdown against Aspinall. The two sides have gone back and forth on social media in recent days.

Aspinall hasn’t fought the full distance in his career, win or lose, through 18 professional fights. Sonnen doesn’t believe this will be a good thing against a proven veteran like Jones.

Chael Sonnen points to one concerning element of Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones

During a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen explained why Aspinall’s streak of finishes could self-sabotage against Jones.

“I’m not sure you understand that. That is not helpful, that is not a good thing,” Sonnen said of Aspinall’s quick wins. “It looks good and it sounds good, it’s not good! When you find yourself in a fight harder than you’re used to, it’s a problem for everybody. It’s the number one reason that Ronda lost to Holly Holm. It was not the right leg kick. It was because the six other girls that Ronda had been in there with checked out collectively in a shorter time than Holly had made it. That was the problem. It’s a problem for everyone. There’s nothing you can do about it.” (h/t MMA News)

Rousey’s unbeaten streak ended against Holly Holm at UFC 193. It’s seen as one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.

Jones defeating Aspinall wouldn’t be nearly as surprising as Rousey’s fall from grace. But for Sonnen, Aspinall has a lot to prove if Jones can withstand his early barrages.