Could we have seen Tom Aspinall in action this weekend at UFC 300? No, according to the interim heavyweight champion. He told Ariel Helwani that the UFC had asked him a couple of months ago about fighting Stipe, seemingly to test the waters about his willingness to fight. Nothing was ever concrete, though, as Aspinall claimed he quickly accepted a fight against Miocic, but the other party failed to agree. It’s not unsurprising, given that Stipe is in line to face Jon Jones in his next contest, which is bound to be a mega fight (should it ever happen)
Aspinall wants to compete soon
Five months removed from his victory over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295, Aspinall is still without a fight lined up, and the lack of action is getting under his skin a little: ”I like fighting; that’s what I’m here for. I’m not here to duck and dive and choose my opponents and nit-pick; I’m here to fight, and that’s it” – Aspinall told Helwani on The MMA Hour after being asked if he was frustrated about not having an opponent.
Outside of fighting, Aspinall has been a busy man of late. He’s in New York this week to fulfil some media obligations and commitments related to the UFC. He’s also now working with TNT Sports, a television network in the United Kingdom that holds broadcasting rights to the UFC in the region.
Over the past few years, YouTube has become a popular outlet for MMA fighters to develop their profile and provide an additional source of revenue. Aspinall is no different, and his channel has amassed almost 70 thousand subscribers at the time of writing, a number which will grow exponentially in the lead-up to his next fight. So, when will that fight be?
Tom Aspinall’s next opponent
Aspinall has heard rumors it will be this July but hopes to get some clarity this weekend after he speaks with the UFC. Dana White has already confirmed that a PPV card will be heading to the UK sometime soon, and there is wide speculation that the card will be held in Manchester in July. It makes sense for Aspinall to be on the card, given that he would be the hometown hero. The interim champion would like his next opponent to be Curtis Blaydes, the man who inflicted Aspinall’s first-ever UFC defeat as he suffered a leg break not too long into the fight at the O2 Arena in London. It’s nothing personal against Blaydes; Aspinall likes the guy, but the competitive beast inside him is desperate to avenge the loss.
Helwani asked Aspinall if Cyril Gane is a possible opponent, but the Brit doesn’t believe he wants the fight: ”He’s (Gane) dismissed me on multiple occasions and I’m not the first guy he’s dismissed and I’m not the first guy that he’s ducked, it’s out there for people to see. The reason I got the Pavlovich fight is because Cyril didn’t want it; he ducked Pavlovich.”
Aspinall’s comments didn’t go down well with Cyril Gane, who responded via X: ”I Never, ever say no to any challenge or opponent. (Curtis) Blaydes was never an option. They (the UFC) said Pavlovich, I said yes. Don’t worry, I’ll see you in September; stop tripping.”
September is an unlikely month for Aspinall as he’s hoping to fight a lot sooner. If he wins again this summer, he will likely fight Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic after that, as it’s doubtful he will defend the interim title twice. Either way, we should know more about the landscape of the heavyweight division after UFC 300.
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