Tom Aspinall is not happy to be the longest reigning interim champion in the history of UFC.
The English knockout artist recorded a secondary title when he put Sergei Pavlovich asleep in 69 seconds on UFC 295 in November 2023.
Tom Aspinall defended the belt by stopping Curtis Blaydes in 60 seconds on UFC 304 in July 2024.
After 535 days as an interim champion, the 31-year-old established an unwanted UFC record awaiting the opportunity to agree against the other UFC Heavyweight title holder, Jon Jones.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty images
Tom Aspinall responds to setting UFC Record
Former Bantam weight champion Renan Barao established the previous record more than 11 years ago.
During the injury-induced absence of Domnick Cruz, the Brazilian Urijah Faber defeated to win a secondary belt on 135 pounds before defending it twice during a 534-day rule that ended when he was eventually elevated to undisputed champion in January 2014.
It was a records that people thought it would never be broken, and Aspinall is smoking that he is the one who did it.
“That is bulls -” he said when his historically long -term regime when interim champion was raised.
“That's not something I wanted. I am not proud of that.
“No, I'm not that proud of that, to be honest.
“The provisional title is fun. But the longest ruling reigning?
“I clearly wanted to compete for the undisputed in the time I have been in the meantime.”
Dana White's newest Jones vs Tom Aspinall -update
Last month, Dana White watched from the first row while Ian Garry Carlos Prates defeated in the main event of UFC Kansas City.
After the fight, the UFC CEO postponed questions of assembled media, who wanted to get the lowdown on Jones vs Aspinall in the midst of mixed reports about the long-awaited champion vs Champion Fight.
“All you hear is bulls – until we say it,” White was on.
“I have often said it, that is the fight we want to do this year.
'Still super confident [it happens]. “