Tom Aspinall announced his arrival on the big stage with a quick first-round TKO of KO machine Sergei Pavlovich. The fight that co-headlined UFC 295 was intriguing due to the exceptional finishing abilities of both fighters.
The fight was for the interim heavyweight title due to Jon Jones being sidelined after a pectoral injury. Following the victory, Aspinall is amidst a conundrum due to the UFC’s plan to have Jones vs Miocic fight. Nevertheless, Aspinall is adamant about getting a fight deal done as soon as possible.
Tom Aspinall discusses his future plans
Tom Aspinall’s victory at UFC 295 made him the third UFC champion from the UK, following in the footsteps of Michael “The Count” Bisping and Leon “Rocky” Edwards. The victory garnered him praise from Bisping himself and also the undisputed champion of the division, Jon Jones. With Aspinall winning the title, the MMA community anticipated a matchup between Jones and Aspinall.
Unfortunately for Aspinall, the UFC is adamant about making the fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. In a recent interview by Nick Peet and Adam Catterall on Fight Disciples podcast, Peet suggested a boxing match for Aspinall in Saudi Arabia. “I like, I want to be active. I’m healthy. I’ll absolutely do that if I can pass that with the UFC. I’ll do that”, Aspinall agreed on the idea.
Moreover, he further added, “Let’s not hold the division up with that. Let me fight Stipe, or like you say, I’ll fight another contender”, citing his need to be active. Aspinall’s current situation either makes him defend his interim title or wait for more than one and a half years if Jon Jones does not retire after his next fight. He had earlier called out the UFC to strip Jon Jones as champion.
Leaving out Jones and Miocic, only Jailton Almeida and Ciry Gane have a credible case to fight Aspinall. Interestingly, Aspinall asked Gane to fight Almeida with the winner getting a shot against him. Aspinall once called out Gane but the Frenchman was hesitant on the idea. Now, Tom Aspinall returned the favor back to him.
Aspinall receives Michael Bisping support
Michael Bisping, the first UFC champion from the UK, is one of the biggest supporters of Tom Aspinall. He even compared Aspinall’s skillset to that of Georges St. Pierre, the arguable GOAT of MMA. Moreover, Bisping was in attendance at Madison Square Garden when Aspinall won the interim title. An ecstatic Bisping’s reaction was caught on the big screen.
The victory at UFC 295 made Tom Aspinall the number one ranked heavyweight fighter in the ESPN MMA Rankings. The decision to put Aspinall number one was clarified by ESPN MMA journalist Brett Okamoto. Okamoto clarified the fact that Jon Jones has a single win over the heavyweight division, and it is his only win in the past three years in MMA.
Bisping predicted Aspinall to become the ‘GOAT’ of the heavyweight division in one of his recent podcasts. Bisping seconded Okamoto’s explanation of the facts regarding Jon Jones. Bisping, like Aspinall, won the UFC middleweight title on short notice against Luke Rockhold at UFC 199.
In a recent interview with Bisping preluding UFC 295, Aspinall expressed his admiration for “The Count” whom he considers a hero. Now, the tables have turned with Bisping becoming the biggest fan of the interim heavyweight champion.
Do you think Tom Aspinall will defeat Jon Jones in a potential matchup? Leave your comment below!
