UFC Champ Tom Aspinall Confirmed As Backup Fighter For Jones-Miocic

Despite Tom Aspinall needing less than a minute to exact revenge on Curtis Blaydes and successfully defend his interim heavyweight title with a first-round KO, his shot at undisputed gold will have to wait.

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At the UFC 304 post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White reassured assembled reporters and the MMA community that Aspinall, the UFC’s first heavyweight champion from the U.K., would get his opportunity pending the outcome of Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, which is targeted for November at MSG.

If Jones or Miocic were to suffer a setback once again, as was the case in 2023 when Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle leading up to the fight, White said Aspinall would be in consideration as a replacement.

UFC 304 Free Live Stream MMA Results: Edwards vs. Muhammad, Aspinall vs. Blaydes

“We’d be insane not to make him [Tom Aspinall] the backup for that fight,” White said.

White went on to emphasize the importance of re-evaluating the division after the Jones-Miocic fight concludes. The possibility of retirement could be on the table for both men, as Miocic has not fought since a KO loss to now-PFL heavyweight Francis Ngannou in 2021.

Aspinall said he would offer a different proposal to White that would directly involve himself and not him as a backup. Although the UFC has not instituted a tournament in about a decade, Aspinall is open to challenging light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and Jones-Miocic moving forward as planned. In his scenario, they would both take place in November, with the winners fighting each other.

Whether or not the UFC would consider Aspinall’s plan remains to be seen, but what is true is that the ever-changing nature of the heavyweight division makes Jones’ return inevitable.

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