Tom Aspinall is only looking up and ahead as the second half of 2025 approaches.
No, MMA’s true No. 1 heavyweight still doesn’t have his first fight of the year booked, but the gears appear to be in motion for Aspinall to schedule an opponent soon. Whether it’s UFC champion Jon Jones or another heavyweight contender, Aspinall is eager to return to competition and it sounds like he’ll do so with UFC CEO Dana White endorsing him.
Following UFC 316 this past Saturday, White was asked about the ongoing Jones-Aspinall situation and while he hasn’t kept up with all of the drama, he made it clear that Aspinall is “the guy” and that he still wants to make a heavyweight championship unification bout happen.
Aspinall is happy to hear he has the boss in his corner.
“I think a lot of people come out and they see what I’ve said and they think it’s some kind of media stuff,” Aspinall said on his YouTube channel. “Listen, I don’t do that kind of stuff. If I’m going to come out and say something, it’s going to be informed information.
“As I’ve said a couple of times, not for me to say. That’s beyond my pay grade, I don’t announce no fights, I don’t announce no UFC news or nothing like that. But there is some coming, there’s definitely some coming. Dana White says I’m his man, we love that. And I’m going to go and prove that pretty soon, so it’s coming.”
Jones recently went on a lengthy Twitter spree in which he continued to dismiss Aspinall, the UFC’s interim heavyweight titleholder, as a challenger, and later addressed a rumor that former UFC champion Francis Ngannou would be open to a return to the promotion under the right circumstances. Jones wrote that a bout with Ngannou is “a real superfight” and “a clash of champions, not just hype.”
White shut the door on Ngannou returning, but that didn’t stop Aspinall from wondering how he’d match up with the PFL star, who departed the UFC with gold still around his waist.
“I’ve said plenty times the day that I start ducking out of fights and turning opponents down and start turning opponents down and stuff like that is the day that I’m going to retire,” Aspinall said. “As I’ve always said, and you can ask any promoter that I’ve ever worked with, any guys at the UFC, I’ll fight anyone, I’ll fight anytime, and I’ll fight anywhere. Never turned down a fight in my life. Never will.
“The day that I start thinking about turning down fights is the day that I’ll retire, so to answer the question, whoever they want me to fight is who I’m going to fight.”
Amputation? Kayla Harrison would have let them cut off her leg to make weight for her UFC 316 title fight.
Destiny. Amanda Nunes couldn’t stay at American Top Team knowing a bout with Harrison was in their future.
Remix. Patchy Mix releases a statement following a disappointing UFC debut.
Prayers. The entire MMA community is hoping for Ben Askren to recover as he deals with a severe health issue.
Gossip. Dana White says everything is fine with Turki Alalshikh ahead of the TKO Boxing launch.
UFC 316 Post-Fight Show.
UFC 316 post-fight media scrums.
Re-live UFC 316 with the MMA Fighting crew.
Max Reax.
More reax.
Mark Kerr, Hall of Fame.
On to the Next One. The next matchups for UFC 316 title fight winners Merab Dvalishvili and Kayla Harrison are obvious, but what is to be done with the popular Sean O’Malley now? And how long will it be before we see Julianna Peña again? Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss all that plus future fights for Saturday’s big winners.
Whoa.
Preach, Double D!
Congratulations @KaylaH !! With @UFC belt you now get the credit you have long deserved !!
4 years ago I crusaded media to respect your dominance . . . Maybe NOW more media will recognize and cover the GREAT MMA fighters not part of the UFC marketing machine. #PFLMMA https://t.co/QHzmVnWQD2
— Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) June 8, 2025
Nominative determinism.
Put me back in, coach.
Georgia represent.
Still want to see these two fight again someday.
This is what happens when you’re handed things you didn’t earn. Back in line, buddy @SugaSeanMMA
— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) June 8, 2025
Chase Hooper (16-3-1) vs. Alexander Hernandez (16-8); UFC 319, Aug. 16
Patricky Pitbull (25-14) vs. Shunta Nomura (9-2); Super RIZIN 4, July 27
Naoki Inoue (19-4) vs. Ryuya Fukuda (25-8-1); Super RIZIN 4, July 27
Seika Izawa (15-0) vs. Yu Jin Shin (3-0, 1 NC); Super RIZIN 4, July 27
Kleber Koike (34-8-1, 1 NC) vs. Mikuru Asakura (18-5, 1 NC); Super RIZIN 4, July 27
Masanori Kanehara (29-13-5) vs. Ya-Man (2-2); Super RIZIN 4, July 27
Karshyga Dautbek (18-3) vs. Kyoma Akimoto (8-1); Super RIZIN 4, July 27
Moeri Suda (13-6) vs. Noel (2-1); Super RIZIN 4, July 27
Bantamweights! They’re fantastic! And yes, unlike usual, we’re talking about both the men’s and women’s sides of the UFC roster.
The top two fights if UFC 316 delivered in a big way, giving us another statement performance from Merab Dvalishvili and a new champion in Kayla Harrison, and Harrison already has a dream fight lined up with the GOAT Amanda Nunes. Good times all around.
Speaking of GOATs, it has to be asked again: Is Dvalishvili the best ever to compete at 135 pounds?
Poll
Is Merab Dvalishvili the GOAT bantamweight?
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