Tom Aspinall has been advocating for a title unification fight against heavyweight champion Jon Jones since winning the interim title at UFC 295 in November 2023.
An interim title was established after Jones was sidelined due to an injury, leading to the cancellation of the originally scheduled UFC 295 main event against former two-time champion Stipe Miocic. Sergei Pavlovich was set as the backup fighter for the title fight, and Aspinall stepped in on short notice to face Pavlovich for the interim championship, knocking him out in just 69 seconds.
While Aspinall defended the interim belt by defeating Curtis Blaydes in one minute at UFC 304 in July, Jones successfully defended his title against Miocic at UFC 309 last month. The possibility of a matchup between Jones and Aspinall is uncertain, but Aspinall’s focus is not solely on fighting Jones. He aims to attain the undisputed UFC heavyweight title that Jones currently holds.
“I want to test my skills against his, but ultimately, my interest isn’t specifically about fighting Jon. It’s about that belt around his waist,” Aspinall stated in an interview with TNT Sports. “Unifying the belts is the goal. I have a belt, he has a belt, there should only be one.”
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Tom Aspinall: “There shouldn’t be a debate”
With two champions in the division, there will always be a dispute over who the ‘real champion’ is. Aspinall finds it ‘strange’ that the heavyweight division has two titleholders, contradicting what the sport is all about.
“Having one champion from flyweight to heavyweight is the essence of the sport,” Aspinall emphasized. “It’s what matters to me, to the fans, and to the organization. In the heavyweight division, having two champions is odd. There shouldn’t be a debate. This is MMA, not boxing or any other sport.”
