Just when it seemed as if the UFC heavyweight Saga including Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall was over, things were pushed into uncertainty again.
After months and months of conversations between Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones, UFC boss Dana White announced that the Saga was over when Jones had officially retired.
Nevertheless, Jones announced only a few weeks later that he re-introduced the drug test pool after an announcement by Donald Trump that he will organize a UFC event in 2026 on the White House site.
And with that Jones revealed that he would fight against whom the heavyweight is champion in the next July 4, with Aspinall, which now stands as the undisputed champion.
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Tom Aspinall confirms that the first UFC title defense is official when Jones is beaten
Although Jones wants to fight extremely at the White House event, White, White, after UFC 318, practically a involvement of Jones, claiming that he cannot trust the former champion.
The words of the UFC boss came after he recently claimed that fans could see both Jones and Conor McGregor fighting at the event and building the hype.
The words of White were not good at Jones who expressed his disappointment a few hours later and stated that he will be ready for whatever comes, regardless of.
And now only a day away from White's public outcome of Jones, the British champion has confirmed that his first official title defense will be confirmed after conversations with the UFC.
“Yes (my next fight is signed and locked up)) it is. As far as signed, I cannot remember the last time I physically signed a contract, they ask me and I say yes and that is it,” Aspinall told UFC on Eurosport.
“I usually sign the contract during the Vechtweek, contracts don't really mean too much, the UFC asks you, you say yes, the verbal contract is everything that someone needs from me,” he continued.
Aspinall thinks that Alex Pereira's team refers to a switch to heavyweight
Although it is currently relatively unclear to whom Aspinall will defend his title, the most likely two contenders Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov are.
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira, however, has continued to grab a potential move to heavyweight in recent months, making fans enthusiastic about that potential matchup.
“The man and his team know what they are doing on social media, they know how to get the headlines, what is good. I think that as far as I know, that is very normal for him and larger light heavyweights to get up to 240-250 pounds … Maybe he teases it,” Aspinall continued.