Following a prolonged period away from the octagon, Tom Aspinall consistently stated his primary ambition: to become the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, regardless of whether that path led to a fight with Jon Jones.
After Jon Jones` brief “retirement,” Aspinall traveled to Las Vegas to discuss his future with UFC officials. He acknowledged that Jones represented the most significant potential matchup, but he`s now focused on revitalizing the division through active championship reigns.
Reflecting on the current state of the heavyweight division, Aspinall admitted to Adam Catterall upon his return to England that it “isn`t exactly on fire” in terms of fighter name recognition, though he believes the talent pool is deep. He contrasted the present lineup with the top 15 from over five years ago, which boasted household names like Fabricio Werdum, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, Brock Lesnar, and Stipe Miocic. Aspinall noted that even as a heavyweight himself, he looks at the current top 15 and finds many names unfamiliar compared to the past era.
Aspinall expressed optimism that this situation will improve over the coming years. He anticipates more high-profile fights leading to greater name recognition among contenders, emphasizing the need for more up-and-coming heavyweights to establish themselves in the top 15.
On a positive note, Aspinall shared that the UFC has presented him with a fight offer, which he has accepted, indicating his return to action will be sooner rather than later.
“I now have a fight booked,” Aspinall revealed, adding that the official announcement isn`t his responsibility. “But at least we`ve got a date, we`ve got an opponent to work towards. Everything`s good. Very happy with that. I can finally get my career going again.”
Based on the UFC`s projected calendar, Aspinall`s return bout is likely scheduled for late 2025, potentially in October, November, or December. Potential locations include Abu Dhabi for the October pay-per-view, Madison Square Garden in New York for November, or a year-end event in Las Vegas.
While Aspinall didn`t disclose specific dates, locations, or opponent names, he did touch upon potential matchups, with former interim champion Ciryl Gane appearing high on the list.
Discussing Gane, Aspinall mentioned, “We`ve been supposed to fight each other a couple of times before.” He noted Gane`s slightly earlier start in the UFC meant Gane was consistently ranked just above him when Aspinall was rising, prompting Aspinall to seek that matchup.
Aspinall stated that Gane had declined the fight previously, speculating it was due to not wanting to fight down the rankings, acknowledging that he represents a difficult and risky opponent. Despite this, he expressed confidence that the fight will eventually take place.
Jailton Almeida, who has been vocal about wanting a heavyweight title shot, was another fighter Aspinall addressed.
“I like it,” Aspinall commented on the Brazilian contender. “I think he`s good. Took a loss to [Curtis] Blaydes but he looks good.” He added that in a division lacking a deep pool of top-tier heavyweights, Almeida “looks decent.”
Alexander Volkov, a Russian heavyweight whom Aspinall defeated via armbar submission in 2022, was highlighted as another potential future opponent. Since their fight, Volkov has compiled a 4-1 record, with his sole defeat being a close and somewhat controversial split decision against Ciryl Gane last December.
While not actively seeking rematches currently, Aspinall views a future showdown with Volkov as highly probable.
“I actually thought [Volkov] won the Gane fight as well,” Aspinall remarked. He recalled knowing Volkov`s skill level when they fought, emphasizing Volkov`s significant improvement since then. Aspinall believes he himself has also greatly improved compared to the time of their 2022 bout, which was his first UFC main event and his first fight in front of a live crowd after the pandemic. He suggested a potential rematch would be “interesting,” acknowledging that no two fights are identical but highlighting the vast difference in his own development since their initial meeting. Aspinall predicted Volkov would continue winning, making a rematch likely at some point.
Regardless of the opponent, Aspinall is eager to return to competition after a frustrating year away, anticipating new challenges as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion.
“There`s a few guys I`ve not fought,” Aspinall stated, choosing not to name them publicly to avoid speculation. “But the guys that I`ve not fought know who they are and they`re the guys that I want to fight.”
Wesley Dunham 
Marcus Blakely