Tom Aspinall reveals reason for confidence Jon Jones title fight next

Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall believes he is the next Jon Jones after receiving a signal from UFC brass.

After stopping Stipe Miocic with a vicious spinning back kick to the body in the main event of UFC 309, Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) hopped on the mic with Joe Rogan and revealed he plans to continue the fight, putting to rest rumors of retirement.

Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who was selected as a backup option for the fight, watched Jones handle business from the cage and also listened closely to Jones’ words on the microphone. When he heard his name mentioned, Aspinall said he locked eyes with Dana White and Hunter Campbell.

“When Jon Jones gave his speech, I looked directly at the UFC brass, Dana and Hunter,” Aspinall said on ESPN’s post-fight show. “They both turned to me at the same time and pointed at me and winked. At the same time. So to me that says something big is in the pipeline.”

Having been around all fight week not knowing if his services as a backup fighter would be needed at the last minute, Aspinall leaves New York with more confidence that the next time he and Jones step into the octagon, it will be for to unify the heavyweight title.

Combined with White’s insistence that the winner of the UFC 309 main event should face Aspinall next, the Englishman feels he is in a good place to get the opportunity to prove he is the best heavyweight in the world.

“This is massive,” Aspinall said. “This is potentially one of the biggest fights in MMA right now. If it doesn’t interest Jon Jones, I don’t know what else we can do. Everybody knows that’s the fight that needs to be fought. That’s the fight , the people want. That’s the fight the UFC wants, that’s the fight the fans want, and that’s the fight that needs to happen now.”