Tom Aspinall evaluates possible UFC opponents after Jon Jones retirement claim
Tom Aspinall has broken down the threats posed by the UFC heavyweights whom he could fight next, after claiming Jon Jones has retired.
Aspinall has held the interim UFC heavyweight title since knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in November 2023, when an injured Jones was unable to defend the regular belt against Stipe Miocic. Jones finally returned 12 months later and stopped Miocic, but only after Aspinall made the rare move of defending the interim title, which he retained with a knockout of Curtis Blaydes last July.
As a result of the Briton's victory and Jones's success against fellow American Miocic, the pair should have been paired in a title unification bout by now. However, 38-year-old Jones has refused to commit to such a contest, never publicly saying he will fight Aspinall, 32.
This week, the Wigan heavyweight told Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier, two of Jones's former opponents, that 'Bones' has retired. He then told The Independent: 'I want to keep my job, so I don't want to say too much, but I said what I've said in other interviews and stuff... People think I'm joking, but it's the truth. I'm not the kind of guy to pull any media stunts or anything like that, like... What I'm saying is the truth.'
Aspinall added that his next fight 'will be announced pretty soon as far as I'm aware', after he told Sonnen and Cormier: 'I've got a date and a location.'
Fans may interpret those updates as Aspinall having agreed a return date with the UFC but without Jones being confirmed as his opponent. With the UFC having announced main events for its pay-per-views in June, July and August, Aspinall seems unlikely to fight before September, which was set to host a Mexican-centric PPV that is now a standard Fight Night.
And if Jones is not his opponent, the likeliest options are Ciryl Gane, Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida – ranked second, third and sixth respectively. Aspinall has already beaten No 4 Pavlovich and No 5 Blaydes, and although he also holds a submission win over Volkov, the Russian bounced back with four straight wins before a controversial split-decision loss to Gane.
'Volkov is the tallest guy in the UFC, 6f 9in,' Aspinall told The Independent. 'He's got like 45-50 pro fights, bags of experience, and he's just a good, solid all-rounder. He's good everywhere, really awkward, massive. He's seen everything except a UFC title. I think all that combined just makes him really dangerous.
'Gane's a great mover, controls the range very well. He's a great kicker for a big guy. He's a former interim champion himself, he's fought everybody apart for me at the top level basically. He's very good.
'Almeida is a good grappler, striking we haven't seen too much of yet, but people say the same about my grappling. People say, 'Well, he's not that good of a grappler,' but I just haven't had the chance to show it. Maybe he's the same with his striking. Most of his fights are predominantly grappling-heavy, but it doesn't mean he can't strike; he's just not had the opportunity to show it yet.'
Aspinall also opened up on how he has stayed motivated over the past 11 months, without having a fight signed, saying: 'I'm in a really lucky position. We've set up a really good training situation, where heavyweights and light-heavyweights come to us to do their camps. I'm so lucky that my dad has created that kind of environment.
'Guys are coming from overseas to do training camps, coming in sharp for hard sparring and hard rounds. If I ain't there, I'm gonna get my ass kicked basically, and I don't want that! I want to be as sharp as possible. So, I just want to say how much I appreciate my training situation and the guys I've got there, because without them, it would have been a really depressing time.
'I'm not the kind of person who gives myself a lot of credit; I beat myself up a lot. But I feel like I've really been consistent in improving my skills in the time I've not been fighting. That is one of the blessings of not having a fight booked: you can just work on your overall game. [Jiu-jitsu champion] Craig Jones was here last week; a couple of weeks ago, I was in Holland sparring Rico Verhoeven, the best kickboxer of all time. So, I've really taken this time to improve as a mixed martial artist. Thank God, soon I will get the opportunity to show everybody.'
Aspinall was speaking at the launch of his long-term partnership with sportswear brand Champion. On the new deal, he said: 'I was looking to move forward with someone who I can go to the end of my fighting career and beyond with. I'm in a really good position, where it can be a brand that I like; I don't just have to take a brand for money or exposure. Champion had the same kind of vision as me, wanting to make MMA mainstream. That's really important to me – not just for myself, but for the generation after me.'
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