Tom Aspinall isn’t looking over his shoulder for Jon Jones.
The new undisputed UFC heavyweight champion—a title he was promoted to following Jones’ retirement—awaits his next defense with Jones no longer in the picture. Aspinall was previously recognized as interim champion and successfully defended that belt once with the expectation that a bout with Jones would materialize, but “Bones” never agreed to meet Aspinall in a unification bout.
That’s fine with Aspinall, who has always prioritized being recognized as MMA’s No. 1 heavyweight over any perceived vendetta between he and Jones. That said, if Jones decides to come back in the future, Aspinall is well aware he’ll likely be granted an immediate title shot.
“I’m sure with where he’s at he can jump the queue anytime he wants,” Aspinall told The Diary Of A CEO. “This time of year, down the line, we’ll have another three or four contenders knocking on for a title shot, I’m sure, but 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.
“I’m in a spot in my career where there’s not all that much footage out there on me. 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.’ So mentally, I’m never counting that out. I think the fight could always pop back up and come back around on me, so that’s something that I would obviously accept.”
Jones claimed the undisputed heavyweight championship in 2023 when he defeated Ciryl Gane for a title left vacant by a departing Francis Ngannou. He went on to successfully defend it against Stipe Miocic in a bout that was delayed a year by a Jones injury. Though Jones had success at heavyweight, it’s his run at light heavyweight that has primarily defined his legacy.
At 23, Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history when he defeated Mauricio Rua at UFC 128. He went on to win his next 13 light heavyweight title fights, only losing the belt due to self-inflicted legal issues outside of the cage (a title fight win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 was also overturned when Jones tested positive for performance-enhancing substances). In 30 pro bouts, Jones has never truly been defeated, with his lone loss coming by way of disqualification for illegal downward elbows in a bout against Matt Hamill that Jones was dominating.
Asked if he has a message for Jones, Aspinall remained humble.
“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. He doesn’t need me or anybody else to tell him how good he’s done. He’ll know it himself, so 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 Jones in the rear-view mirror, Aspinall looks ahead to his first fight as undisputed heavyweight champion. There is no clear-cut contender fans are demanding to see get a shot, but Aspinall has a few names in mind.
“I’ve actually fought a lot of the top 10,” Aspinall said. “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.
“A couple more guys down the rankings, Jailton Almeida I’ve not fought, there’s a guy I’ve already beat called Alexander Volkov who’s doing really well for himself as well, so who knows? You never know in the heavyweight division. There’s a couple of up-and-coming guys who I’ve not mentioned as well, so there’s some good fights to be made over the next couple of years for sure.”
Aspinall spent much of the past two years pursuing a unification bout with Jones, but was denied as Jones was sidelined with an injury and determined to face Miocic in his first title defense. That left Aspinall to defend an interim belt against Curtis Blaydes, but even after both fighters cleared their schedules, Jones declined to book a fight with the British star.
That means Aspinall is making up for lost time, which he hopes to do in 2025 with a pair of championship fights.
“I’m going to be fighting hopefully twice this year,” Aspinall said. “That’s my plan, at least. I think I’ve wasted enough time now. We’re looking to get a fight booked quick and it’s looking like it’s going to be pretty soon anyway. Then hopefully if everything goes well in the first one, I’m uninjured, which is it’s easier said than done getting through a fight with a guy my size and coming out with no injuries, but if I can do that, I would like to fight at the end of the year as well. That would be perfect.”
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