Tom Aspinall probably won't fight Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
Either heavyweight champion Jon Jones or challenger Stipe Miocic will have to drop out of Friday or Saturday's fight — a common occurrence in MMA — but will serve as a backup fighter this weekend. Even British players who are currently in the league know how unlikely that is.
Still, fans at Thursday night's UFC 309 press conference roared in agreement with UFC CEO Dana White's declaration that “the winner absolutely has to fight Tom.”
That reaction was quickly followed by loud chants of “Tommy” and ended with Jones playfully telling the MSG theater audience to “fuck it up” is proof of how much Aspinall loved himself to UFC fans. It is. In the 12 months since winning the interim heavyweight title at the Garden, Jones has spent the last week in particular trying to justify why he has no interest in unifying the titles with Aspinall.
“We're very lucky that so many people are seeing what happened and what's going on and understanding it. It's a wonderful thing,” Aspinall said, using his first name. He spoke to the Post during a visit to the video studio hours before the praise. — he wasn't on stage to receive it. “I don't really have to do a whole lot. My name is already covered a lot by the media and fans and stuff, so I don't have to come out here and make a big song and dance about everything. It's cool. That’s nice.”
Two things have become clear since Aspinall (15-3, 15 finishes) knocked out Sergei Pavlovich to win the interim title. That interim title came about when Jones tore his pectoralis major muscle last fall, less than two weeks before he originally faced Miocic.
- Aspinall did everything in his power to catch Jones' attention and ensure he had a chance to become the undisputed champion.
- Aspinall's real desire is less to face Jones and more to the undisputed status, but that could become a reality.
That means moving up to heavyweight through Jones and testing himself against the legendary light heavyweight who won the title vacated when Francis Ngannou became a free agent in March 2023. If so, he's fine with it.
If the winner of Jones-Miocic gains undisputed status by handing back the title, that could work as well.
“I want to fight Jon Jones. [the undisputed title]. That would be great,” Aspinall reiterates. “But if that doesn't happen, I don't care. Like I said, Jon Jones is not my focus. My focus is the undisputed heavyweight title. Nothing else matters to me at this point.”
Despite his imposing frame indoors — he's officially 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 260 pounds this week — Aspinall is a mild-mannered man.
For the past year, he has been trying to get a unification fight with Jones, but with a break midway through, he successfully defended his interim UFC title for the first time in 10 years, avenging his only loss in the UFC, a first-round KO to Curtis Blaydes. Ta. July — Rather than throwing mud or making threats, Aspinall peppers social media platforms with cheeky attempts to provoke goats.
In the spring, Aspinall wanted to take a photo with Jones in a typical face-off pose, and the opposing champion refused to play ball.
Aspinall has been creating sassy content, including seeking out the “Jones” at the gym and pool with a comedic touch.
Jones' latest assessment for the Post simply labeled everything done as “a nuisance,” and while addressing reporters at Wednesday's media day, Jones declared: I ended up doing it. Trade with him. ”
Despite this, Aspinall insists he has no intention of changing anything.
“I'm just trying to fight for an undisputed title,” declares the jovial Aspinall. “Like I said, this is not for John, just to have a little fun along the way. That's my personality anyway. But John takes it very personally. But it's just fun.”
Aspinall has everything the UFC needs of him, whether it's just to weigh in and enjoy the show, or to take a precious little prep time and jump in to face the UFC's best light heavyweight or best heavyweight. I'm just in New York to run an errand.
The interim champion has kept his media appearance schedule low-key this week, but insisted he's not trying to steal the thunder from the UFC 309 headliners.
“This isn't really a fight week for me. If the UFC needs me, I'm here to step in,” Aspinall explains. “It's not really my choice to put my name forward because this is not my week. Other people are just doing it for me.”
After all, Aspinall is most interested in letting the moment pass.
Let Jones and Miocic settle their scheduled business last November.
The 31-year-old will be waiting on the other side, relieved to be back at work and hoping he can finally fight for the undisputed title.
“Once it’s over, it’s over,” Aspinall said. He hopes to fight again as early as March or April, against whoever the UFC wants to take him on. “And I'm just looking forward to this game being over. In just a few days, everything will be clear and we'll all move on.”
“And I don't know what that looks like. Nobody knows what it looks like right now. You never know in MMA, especially in heavyweight. So right now we're just waiting. That’s it.”
