Tom Aspinall has said he is “very optimistic” about his next UFC fight and that he “understands” his “position”, after a meeting with top brass last week.
Interim heavyweight champion Aspinall recently expressed frustration over his prolonged wait for Jon Jones, who holds the regular belt, with negotiations over a fight between the pair moving slowly.
However, Aspinall met UFC CBO Hunter Campbell on Thursday and provided a promising update on his situation on Monday.
Speaking to Uncrowned, the Wigan fighter said: “We had a meeting, had a nice meal, talked everything through. Hunter has always been extremely personable and reasonable with me. I cannot say what he’s like with other people, but with me and my team, he’s been nothing but hospitable.
“We had a fantastic meeting, everything went amazing. I understand my position now, and I understand what the company is doing now, and you’ve gotta stay tuned. There’s some big news coming […] I feel like we’re in a good spot right now.”
Aspinall, 31, did not confirm that he will fight Jones soon or even next, but his optimism is believed to be tied to the chances of that bout materialising; The Independent understands Aspinall does not wish to defend the interim belt again, having already done so successfully while waiting for Jones.
In July, Aspinall knocked out Curtis Blaydes in round one to retain the interim strap, which he won with a KO of Sergei Pavlovich in November 2023. The interim title was made after Jones, 37, suffered an injury and could not defend his belt against Stipe Miocic, but 12 months later in November 2024, that fight took place – with Jones stopping the divisional great.
As such, Jones vs Aspinall is the natural next step, to unify the belts. However, American Jones has expressed apathy at the idea of facing the Briton.
“First and foremost, I like fighting people, that’s what I like to do,” Aspinall told Uncrowned of his recent frustrations. “And if I’m not doing that, I feel a little bit… I haven’t been doing that over the last seven months, but after the meeting, I’m feeling very optimistic about things.
“I’m in a really, really good spot with everything, my future moving forward, and it’s really exciting times.”
