Tom Aspinall wants to take on all comers in his efforts to cement his legacy as UFC heavyweight champion, even if he only has one night.
The hard-hitting heavyweight stunned fans with yet another quick knockout at UFC 304 on Sunday morning to settle his feud with Curtis Blaydes. And it appears that he may now be moving towards a meeting with the winner of Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic’s undisputed title fight in November.
But the Brit doesn’t want to wait for his shot at the legendary duo, and has offered up a solution that could see him fight both Jones and Alex Pereira within one night. He would even turn around relatively quickly in order for an historic night at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Tom Aspinall calls out Jon Jones after yet another knockout win at UFC 304
The initial meeting between Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes took place in July of 2022, with the American winning as the result of his opponent suffering a freak injury. And almost two years to the day later, they rematched in Manchester with the interim heavyweight title on the line.
This time, Aspinall made no mistake as he landed flush to drop the renowned wrestler, before pouncing and landing a number of unanswered shots to earn a first minute KO win. It appears to set him up for a meeting to unify the belts with either Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic after their November meeting.
“Let me just say, I just spoke to the boss man,” Aspinall told a rowdy Manchester crowd following his victory, before asking “Who wants to see Tom Aspinall against Jon Jones?”
“Hello Jon, I have nothing against you personally, but I just think I’m better than you,” he added. “I just know that I can beat you in a fight, so I am coming for it.”
Tom Aspinall wants to fight Jon Jones and Alex Pereira in one night
Following the fight, Aspinall met with the media for a post-show press conference, where many questions centred around the potential of a meeting with Jones. However, he had a new idea, where they could draft in light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and make a truly iconic evening of fights.
The Brit suggested that given both he and Pereira’s propensity to land fast knockouts, the Brazilian should move to heavyweight and compete in a one-night tournament. First, Aspinall would take on Pereira, while Miocic and Jones square off.
The winners would compete that night, similar to the original Ultimate Fighting Championship format and early iterations of the PFL. “Here’s a thought for you; I was thinking about this the other day,” he teased while speaking to the gathered press.
“So, they’re saying Jon Jones and Stipe are going to fight at MSG in November, why don’t we do a tournament: Jon vs. Stipe and me vs. Alex. Do a four-man tournament, two fights in one night, and let’s find out who the real Heavyweight champion is.
“We got the greatest Heavyweight of all time, we got the greatest MMA fighter of all time, we got the Light Heavyweight champion, and me who is just a poxy Interim champion. Let’s do that…wouldn’t that be a cool little thing, two fights in one night.
“I got the lowest average fight time in the UFC, and it’s even lower after tonight; my chances in that tournament are pretty good.”
Jon Jones reacts as Tom Aspinall retains interim title at UFC 304
While that idea may just be what his team described as “good press” in a YouTube video on Aspinall’s channel, it appears that he is moving towards a fight with Jones. The legendary two-weight world champion has previously dismissed his star power and favours ‘legacy fights’.
Jones believes that Miocic will provide a name on his record among the greats he fought during his run at light-heavyweight, given the two-time champion’s record-breaking run. He then is more keen on Pereira moving up, and offering a chance for him to become an unprecedented three-weight champion.
But he appeared to reply positively to Aspinall’s latest victory, taking to X to share a cryptic message believed to be about the interim champion. “Supply and demand at its finest,” he wrote to his 2.9million followers. “I love it.”
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