Tom Aspinall believes he’s the best heavyweight in the world.
In the co-main event of UFC 204 on Saturday in Manchester, England, Aspinall showcased his dominance by knocking out Curtis Blaydes in the first round to defend his interim heavyweight title.
The victory allowed Aspinall to avenge his unfortunate injury loss to Blaydes from 2022 and maintained his position for a potential showdown with Jon Jones, the reigning UFC champion whom Aspinall has sought to fight for more than a year.
Aspinall believes Jon Jones was watching and that the last thing Jones wanted to see was the Brit’s hand being raised in victory.
“Jon’s the undisputed champion, but I’m the best in the world, if that makes any sense,” Aspinall said at the UFC 304 post-fight press conference. “We know what Jon’s doing. Jon was there, crossing his fingers and toes tonight hoping I’d lose to Curtis, let’s not bullshit about it. He posted about it loads anyway that I’m going to lose to him. That didn’t happen, so that’s the fight I want next.”
Jones has not fought since March 2023, when he dominated Ciryl Gane to win the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285. He was scheduled to fight Stipe Miocic in November, but an injury forced him to withdraw from that bout.
A new date has not been announced, but indications suggest that Jones and Miocic will headline the UFC’s annual event at Madison Square Garden in New York this November. Aspinall will be keeping a close eye on the matchup since he will likely fight the winner of the blockbuster heavyweight matchup.
Is Tom Aspinall the best heavyweight in the world?
