MMA fighter Tom Aspinall, after his victory against Marcin Tybura, has set his sights on becoming the UFC heavyweight champion and expressed his desire to fight Jon Jones if the chance arises.
Tom Aspinall is resolved to become the UFC heavyweight champion, and considers a potential fight with Jon Jones simply an extra perk. Back in the spotlight at UFC London on a recent Saturday, Aspinall enjoyed a resounding victory by taking down Marcin Tybura in barely over a minute. Following his win, he declared his next target: the victor of the anticipated UFC Paris headliner battle between Ciryl Gane and Serghei Spivac. Aspinall confidently declared that he would overcome whoever won that fight, and then proceed to inflict a genuine, first loss on Jones.
During the UFC London post-fight press conference, Aspinall was candid about his matchup with Jones, expressing the belief that he matches up well against him. According to Aspinall, his youth, freshness, absence of an extensive career, and his size, are factors that set him apart from Jones’ previous opponents. Furthermore, he is certain that he presents Jones with a unique challenge, a fact he believes Jones should take note. Aspinall’s post-fight comments quickly caught the attention of Jones himself, who soon after responded with a succinct tweet, “Sounds good.” In response, an excited Aspinall quipped that getting Jones’ acknowledgment was a victory in itself.
Aspinall last fought a year prior against Curtis Blaydes in the same venue where his fight with Tybura took place. However, that bout ended abruptly in 15 seconds when Aspinall suffered a severe knee injury. Despite the tough rehabilitation, Aspinall identifies the injury as “the best thing that could have happened,” considering his current condition. The up-and-coming fighter’s future plans involve challenging the winner of Gane vs. Spivac, whilst also anticipating Jones’ title defense against Stipe Miocic at the UFC 295 event in November. Notably, Aspinall defeated Spivac in less than a round back in 2021, hence if Gane is his next opponent, he is confident in his chances.
Regarding Gane, Aspinall believes, “I think I match up pretty well against him. I think I’m equally as fast as him, I move equally as well. The difference is, I can grapple and I’ve got a lot of power.” While the acknowledgement from Jones post his victory was a significant milestone, Aspinall’s ultimate goal is to secure the UFC heavyweight belt. If it happens that Jones is the one he needs to face to garner the title, it would be an extra bonus but not his main goal. Should Jones retire, Aspinall maintains that it wouldn’t bother him too much. He would still fight the next titleholder, he asserted.