Tom Aspinall is eagerly eyeing the UFC heavyweight championship, hoping that his recent encounter with Jon Jones won’t be the closest he ever gets to the title.
Aspinall, the interim heavyweight champion of the promotion, captured attention last weekend with a viral confrontation with Jones at a fan event in Birmingham, UK. He took the opportunity to introduce himself to Jones, whom he has been actively pursuing for a bout.
However, the meeting was somewhat chilly, with Jones declining Aspinall’s request for a face-off photo and brushing off the Englishman’s attempt at a friendly gesture.
Despite the cool reception, Aspinall didn’t let the encounter dampen his spirits. In fact, he left the event with increased confidence in his ability to hand Jones his first legitimate defeat in MMA.
Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones first ever meeting and face off 👀
Tom mentions that Jones looks kinda smaller than he seems..
(via @AspinallMMA TikTok) pic.twitter.com/O4f48FfeaW
— 🐺 (@RedWolfMMA) March 16, 2024
Reflecting on the meeting in a video posted online shortly afterward, Aspinall remarked, “That was the first time I’ve met him. He’s nowhere near as big as I thought. I thought he was a lot taller. I guess when you fight at light heavyweight your whole career — I mean he’s six-four — you look really tall. But I’m a full-grown heavyweight, aren’t I.”
Asserting his belief in his own capabilities, Aspinall confidently stated, “He’s nowhere near as big as me… I’ll take that one. I think I beat him, definitely.”
Jones was initially slated to fight former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic late last year but was sidelined by a pectoral injury sustained during training.
Aspinall, who secured the interim heavyweight championship with a win over Sergey Pavlovich in November, has been vocal in his campaign for a bout with Jones. However, Jones has remained focused on a potential showdown with Miocic once he is cleared to return, likely later this year.
Aspinall’s next steps are uncertain, given that his interim championship essentially guarantees him a shot at the undisputed belt. Nevertheless, buoyed by his encounter with Jones, the British fighter is more confident than ever in his ability to be the first to defeat the dominant champion decisively.
