Tom Aspinall: ‘We Should Do Tom Aspinall Vs. Jon Jones In Manchester’

Tom Aspinall defeated Sergei Pavlovich in the UFC 295 co-main event

NEW YORK, NY–When Tom Aspinall won the interim heavyweight title, the massive heavyweight dropped to his knees.

Aspinall defeated Sergei Pavlovich by knockout, winning the title at UFC 295. Overwhelmed with emotion, Aspinall immediately thought of his father.

“I’m a lifelong martial artist, and my dad got me into it,” said Aspinall. “My dad was so into it, so I’ve always been in the gym. I’ve been involved with this crazy martial arts life for most of my life, and everything flashed before my eyes in that moment.”

Courtesy Zuffa LLC

Aspinall (14-3) kept his 100 percent finishing rate intact with the first-round knockout. Pavlovich (18-2) was unable to land a thunderous blow, and he had not timed Aspinall’s speed before getting dropped.

This fight happened on short notice after Jon Jones suffered an injury and was unable to defend the heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic. So an interim title bout was added to the card, and Aspinall accepted with less than two weeks to prepare.

A knockout victory against Pavlovich is impressive enough, but even more so when learning that Aspinall was competing with an injured back that severely limited his training.

“I basically didn’t have any training camp at all,” said Aspinall. “I wasn’t really in the best shape. I got the call like three, four days after I pulled my back really bad. I could barely even move or do anything. And I didn’t have a visa. It’s been some three weeks. It’s been absolutely insane.”

Courtesy UFC

Pavlovich did a significant shot, but Aspinall was not hurt. He used his angles especially well, and connected with a perfect blow.

For Aspinall, this bout represented an opportunity for greatness.

“Too many people in this game hide away from fear,” said Aspinall. “I was scared. That’s when I’m at my absolute best. I embrace fear with open arms.”

Tom congratulations on the interim heavyweight championship belt! That was an awesome performance!

— BONY (@JonnyBones) November 12, 2023

The future of the heavyweight division still runs through Jones, whose next fight is against Miocic. If Jones wins, it is possible he will retire as champion. But Aspinall believes the best possible fight is one between himself and Jones.

“We should do Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones in Manchester,” said Aspinall, who is Britain’s first UFC heavyweight champ. “I think that’s the fight to make. That’s the fight I really, really want.”

Another option for Aspinall’s next bout is Ciryl Gane, but he may have to defeat Jailton Almeida first. Yet Aspinall still believes a bout against Jones is a possibility, and he is quite confident in his chances.

“If I hit anybody square in the face, they’re going out,” said Aspinall. “Jon knows that.”