Tom Aspinall defends his interim heavyweight title at UFC 304 but remains frustrated about not getting a chance to fight Jon Jones, who is more interested in facing Stipe Miocic and possibly Alex Pereira, leaving Aspinall’s claim as the best heavyweight unresolved.
Tom Aspinall defends his interim heavyweight title in the co-main event of UFC 304. Yet, there’s no telling when he might unify the belts and become the undisputed champion.
Jon Jones is expected to return in November to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic. Assuming Aspinall gets past Curtis Blaydes on Saturday night, he remains the odd man out.
It’s been frustrating for Aspinall. He has repeatedly called for a chance to face Jones, only to be rebuffed.
Jones may be nearing the end of his career. This means Aspinall might never get that fight.
UFC analyst Laura Sanko isn’t sure if it really matters for Aspinall’s claim as the best heavyweight. “I’ve never wavered from saying that Jon Jones is the greatest of all time,” Sanko told MMA Fighting.
“But currently, the best heavyweight in the world, I believe, is Tom Aspinall,” she added. His run to the top has seen him torch nearly every opponent without any making it past the second round.
The only blemish on his record? A severe knee injury against Blaydes two years ago, just 15 seconds into their fight.
Meanwhile, Jones’ only fight at heavyweight was a dominant win over Ciryl Gane in March 2023. That victory claimed the title left vacant by Francis Ngannou’s UFC exit.
Since then, Jones has stated he’s only interested in Miocic next. This is largely due to Miocic being considered one of UFC’s best heavyweights ever.
Sanko sees no problem with this preference but questions if it will determine the top heavyweight. “I think when we see Jon and Stipe fight, it’s going to be tremendous,” Sanko said.
“But are we going to get an answer about who is currently the best heavyweight?” she pondered aloud. For her, a Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall fight would cement that answer.
Jones vs Aspinall could settle who’s UFC’s best heavyweight. However, Sanko argues it’s not a matchup Jones needs for his legacy.
“Does [Jones] need that though for his overall MMA legacy? Absolutely not,” Sanko emphasized. “He doesn’t owe this sport anything else.”
Rumors suggest Jones could retire after fighting Miocic. If he sticks around past November, he might not be interested in unifying titles with Aspinall.
Instead, he could go after a different champion like Alex Pereira. “To be honest with you… I could see Jon being much more interested in an Alex Pereira fight than Tom Aspinall,” Sanko speculated.
How would that play out with potentially Tom sitting on an interim belt feeling more like an undisputed one? No idea!
Suggesting Jones vs Pereira stirs up issues across multiple divisions but doesn’t mean it won’t happen. If he doesn’t retire after Miocic, a showdown against Pereira may keep him around longer.
“Can you imagine what an absolute crap show that would be?” Sanko exclaimed incredulously. She wants things organized and logical but admits interest in seeing these matchups unfold.
“I also want to see Tom Aspinall fight Jon Jones,” she continued cautiously. The scene post-weekend promises fascinating conversations aplenty!