The UFC’s heavyweight division already boasts an undisputed champion in Jon Jones, an interim champion in Tom Aspinall, and the GOAT in Stipe Miocic. Add names like Alex Pereira, Ciryl Gane, Curtis Blaydes, and Alexander Volkov, and we will get a stacked heavyweight division. How long will it last? Aspinall thinks the current crop of heavyweights will rule for the next 5-10 years.
Preluding his interim heavyweight title defense against Curtis Blaydes, Aspinall spoke with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour. The Brit seemed excited as he talked about the future of the heavyweight division.
“We’ve got Jon Jones, who knows what he’s going to do. But he’s going to be active again soon, hopefully. We’ve got Alex Pereira potentially moving up, we’ve got Volkov, who’s on a resurgence, we’ve got Ciryl Gane knocking around. We’ve got Curtis Blaydes, we’ve got Pavlovic still in the mix, we’ve got all kinds of guys” Aspinall said.
“There are so many top-level heavyweights, and these next five or ten years are going to be absolutely incredible at heavyweight. What a time to be involved in heavyweight MMA,” the 31-year-old added.
As for the biggest matchup the UFC could make at heavyweight, Aspinall ain’t thinking about it. Notably, when Ariel Helwani stated Aspinall vs. Pereira would be more massive than Aspinall vs. Jones, the Salford native agreed with it. However, he revealed his upcoming title fight at UFC 304 has all his focus.
Tom Aspinall Ready to Settle Score with Curtis Blaydes
Tom Aspinall’s only loss in the UFC was due to a knee injury in the fight against Curtis Blaydes. As he takes on Blaydes in a rematch in a couple of weeks, the interim heavyweight champion has no distractions. Although super fights were on the horizon, the battle against the Americans seemed to be the priority of the Brits.
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“I took Curtis Blaydes very, very seriously and still have a little bit of training to do. But this is a massive fight for me, both professionally and personally. I need to put a full stop on this one and go out there to finish him,” Aspinall said on the MMA Hour, revealing he would be looking to enjoy as much at UFC 304.
The 6’5″ heavyweight admitted he is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Despite being only 31, quite young for a heavyweight, he is already pondering a job outside of fighting. Coaching seemed nice for him, but he felt it was time-consuming. An analyst role looks like a good idea, particularly as he is one of TNT Sports.
Also Read: UFC 304: Ex-Champion Dismisses Fraud Checks for Tom Aspinall, Paddy Pimblett, and Muhammad Mokaev
