Jon Jones ducking Tom Aspinall? Actually just a 'stroke of genius,' says Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping praises UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ negotiation tactics before he potentially fights Tom Aspinall.

Jones has been dismissive of interim champ Aspinall and wants to be paid handsomely for a title-unification bout. Despite his reluctance to fight Aspinall next after finishing Stipe Miocic this past November at UFC 309, Dana White guaranteed that the fight will happen this year.

Bisping thinks Jones’ (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) plan is coming to fruition. He asked for “f*ck you money” to fight Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), and he may just get that.

“As we know, Jon Jones kind of shied away from fighting Tom Aspinall leading up to the Stipe fight, which was an absolute stroke of genius in terms of marketing, because it drove the demand through the roof, sky high, made it the fight that everybody wants to see,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Well, guess what? The man is going to get paid properly more than likely. That’s the rumor.”

Jones seeking how much to fight Aspinall?

That rumor stemmed from UFC commentator and podcast host Joe Rogan, who revealed the number that he heard Jones is asking for.

“I think its’s going to be Aspinall. I think they’re trying to come to some sort of an agreement,” Rogan said on a recent episode of his “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. “The rumor is that he wants $30 million, and the UFC is going to pay it hopefully. I hope they pay it.”