Tom Aspinall has revealed he is now back training for a potential showdown against UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
The 31-year-old is coming off his seventh first-round knockout victory in MMA's flagship promotion, exacting revenge on Curtis Blaydes with a deadly right hand in July.
Since emphatically defending his interim title, the Brit has insisted his next assignment must be a shot at the UFC heavyweight crown.
However, MMA legend Jon Jones has shown virtually no interest in facing Tom Aspinall, claiming a clash with light heavyweight king Alex Pereira would do more for his legacy.
Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images
Tom Aspinall reveals negotiations have begun for his next fight
A fight between Jones and Aspinall is of course the fight every MMA fan desperately wants to see.
After all, it has the potential to be the greatest UFC heavyweight spectacle of all time, offering a compelling matchup between a tactical genius and an explosive knockout artist.
But following his third-round victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, Jones did little to sate his fans' appetites.
Instead, the 37-year-old claimed that he had somehow developed a hatred for Aspinall and therefore did not want to give him a shot at the title.
Additionally, 'Bones' embraced accusations that he is challenging his biggest challenger by updating his Instagram profile photo to a cartoon duck.
While Jones continues to avoid the legacy-defining fight, Aspinall has nonetheless confirmed that his next appearance is already in the works.
'Yes, we are currently in negotiations. That's the honest answer.” Tom Aspinall said on his YouTube channel. “So we don't know when the fight will happen, but I will always be ready to go. I'm back in the gym now. I'm back in the gym training, like always.”
“I'm ready to fight when they let me know. Until then I will improve, I will get better.
“So there is no big rush with that. Obviously I want to fight as soon as possible. But right now we're just waiting for a date. That's it.”
Could Tom Aspinall face the winner of Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov instead?
Shortly after Jones' emphatic performance at UFC 309, Aspinall revealed that after speaking with his UFC bosses, he now feels more confident the fight will happen.
Still, the pulverizing puncher would certainly benefit from considering alternative options, as the American hasn't exactly proven to be the most reliable in recent years.
But in reality, a clash against the winner of Ciryl Gane vs Alexander Volkov – which takes place at UFC 310 on December 7 – is the only other fight in his division that makes sense.
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