Newly crowned undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, isn`t preoccupied with the possibility of Jon Jones making a comeback. Aspinall was elevated to the undisputed titleholder after Jones decided to retire from the sport. As he prepares for his first title defense, Jones is no longer a direct factor in the division.
Aspinall previously held the interim championship and successfully defended it once, hopeful for a unification bout against Jones. However, “Bones” never agreed to face Aspinall for the undisputed title. Aspinall remains unfazed, having always prioritized being recognized as the sport`s top heavyweight over any personal rivalry with Jones.
Nevertheless, Aspinall is fully aware that if Jones were to decide to return to competition, he would almost certainly receive an immediate title shot. “I`m sure with where he`s at he can jump the queue anytime he wants,” Aspinall commented. “Anytime someone like him wants to step up and say, ‘Listen, I want to fight again,’ they’re going to get an immediate title shot so I’m never going to count that out.”
Aspinall believes Jones might be observing his future performances. “Maybe he sees something on me in the next few fights and he thinks, ‘You know what? I can beat this guy. I’m going to come back and beat him.’” For this reason, Aspinall stated, “So mentally, I’m never counting that out. I think the fight could always pop back up… so that’s something that I would obviously accept.”
Jon Jones captured the undisputed heavyweight belt in 2023 by defeating Ciryl Gane for the title vacated by Francis Ngannou. He was scheduled to defend it against Stipe Miocic, but an injury to Jones caused a year-long delay. While Jones achieved success at heavyweight, his dominant career at light heavyweight primarily defines his legacy.
At UFC 128, Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history by defeating Mauricio Rua. He went on to win his next 13 light heavyweight title fights. His only setbacks in his career were outside the cage due to legal issues or a positive drug test (which overturned a win against Daniel Cormier). In his 30 professional bouts, Jones has never been genuinely defeated in a fight, with his single loss resulting from a disqualification for illegal elbows in a bout he was otherwise dominating against Matt Hamill.
When asked if he had a message for Jones, Aspinall offered a humble perspective. “I think he’s had an amazing career and I think he should enjoy the rest of his life,” Aspinall said. “If he truly feels like he’s done enough, which he keeps saying that he does, he will be at peace… I hope that he’s enjoying his life, he’s enjoying his family, and he’s celebrating his career because it’s been amazing.”
With the focus now shifting away from Jon Jones, Aspinall is looking forward to his first defense as the undisputed heavyweight champion. While there isn`t a single fighter the fans are overwhelmingly demanding to see challenge him, Aspinall has potential opponents in mind.
“I’ve actually fought a lot of the top 10,” Aspinall mentioned. “One of the guys I’ve not fought is Ciryl Gane. I was actually chasing that fight a few times before. He was ducking and diving around himself a little bit, so he is due a little bit of a beating off me. I look forward to that.” Other names he hasn`t faced include Jailton Almeida. He also noted Alexander Volkov, whom he previously defeated but who is currently performing well. Aspinall concluded, “You never know in the heavyweight division… there’s some good fights to be made over the next couple of years for sure.”
Aspinall spent a significant part of the last two years pursuing a unification fight with Jones, but it never materialized due to Jones` injury and his focus on facing Stipe Miocic. This situation led Aspinall to defend an interim belt against Curtis Blaydes. Even after both fighters` schedules aligned, Jones declined to book a fight with the British contender.
As a result, Aspinall is keen to make up for this lost time. He hopes to fight twice in 2025 as the undisputed champion. “I’m going to be fighting hopefully twice this year,” he stated. “That’s my plan, at least. I think I’ve wasted enough time now.” He anticipates his next fight being booked soon. His goal is to emerge from that bout uninjured, which he acknowledges is challenging against heavyweight opponents, enabling him to ideally compete again later in the year. “That would be perfect,” Aspinall concluded.
