It has been a long time since the (basically) unbeaten Jon Jones was an underdog in a fight — but that was until Tom Aspinall emerged as a serious contender in the UFC’s heavyweight fold.
Aspinall enhanced his already glowing reputation last Saturday night (or Sunday morning) in Manchester’s UFC 304 event, taking just 60 seconds to defeat perennial top contender Curtis Blaydes in defence of the Briton’s interim heavyweight crown.
Aspinall, 31, has made no bones of the fact that he is actively pursuing an undisputed showdown with Jones, who holds the major title in the division.
However, UFC matchmakers — and in particular Dana White — have repeatedly stated that Jones will face Stipe Miocic upon his return from a pectoral injury, with whispers suggesting the fight might go down this November in New York City.
But if and when Aspinall finally gets his shot against Jones, the fighter heralded by many as the finest athlete in the history of the sport, one prominent bookmaker says that he will be the betting favourite to have his hand raised.
Per MMA Fighting, the online bookmaker BetOnline has listed Aspinall as the -150 favourite to win.
Jones, meanwhile, is a +130 underdog.