Brendan Schaub has recently called for the UFC to strip Jon Jones of his heavyweight title.
Dana White surprisingly revealed earlier this week that Jones will be out from UFC 295 because of a torn pectoral muscle. The highly anticipated matchup between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic has been postponed.
As a result of Jones’ absence, Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich have stepped up for a short-notice showdown in the co-main event of UFC 295. The two will be competing for the interim heavyweight title.
But once Jones recovers from his injury, the matchup with Miocic is expected to be rescheduled.
So, the question remains: Will the winner of the Pavlovich vs. Aspinall bout defend their interim title or potentially face a year-long wait for their next bout?
Brendan Schaub shared his thoughts on the ongoing heavyweight scenario in a video on his YouTube channel. He emphasized that with Jones likely sidelined for a year, the UFC should consider stripping him of the belt.
According to Schaub, an interim title match shouldn’t be on the table when the reigning champion is facing such a lengthy hiatus.
He said: “Jon Jones probably isn’t fighting for a year. He’s not getting any younger, and also, UFC missed the boat on this a little bit [by] not stripping him of the belt…When your champ is out at least a year with this injury, there should not be an interim title fight. It should just be the vacant belt.”
Schaub also criticized the decision to have Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight title, stating that it doesn’t make sense.
He said: “So, they announced Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich and it’s for an interim heavyweight title. That doesn’t make any sense in any facet. Even if Jon wasn’t going to retire, even if the fight went on, you weren’t going to have a true heavyweight champ. So, you get Sergei and Tom Aspinall fighting for an interim belt that makes no freaking sense. That should be just for the straight-up vacant world title fight.”
Despite the buzz surrounding Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich, the combatants will have just over two weeks to prepare. Schaub expressed concern that this short notice might prevent both from performing at their absolute best.