UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall isn’t a man to turn down a challenge, and while his sights are firmly set on a champion-versus-champion clash with Jon Jones, he said he’s happy to face current undisputed light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, on one condition.
In a video posted to his Threads account, Aspinall addressed the topic of a potential bout with Pereira, and was asked whether he had a message for “Poatan”.
“No message. The guy’s a superstar in the sport, so do whatever you want,” he said.
“But if we meet, for sure, I think we’re on the same page, it’s gonna be for an undisputed heavyweight title. So, maybe see you next year, at some point.”
The “on the same page” comment suggests that both men see a matchup against the other as being worthy of the undisputed heavyweight crown. The barrier to that, of course, is Jones, who faces Stipe Miocic in his next bout, but whose fighting future beyond that is unclear.
If he continues, the logical next fight would be against Aspinall, but some have suggested Jones could choose Pereira as a possible next opponent instead of the interim champion, who defended his title with a 60-second finish of longtime contender Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in Manchester last month.
The other possibility is that Jones calls it a career after the fight with Miocic. In that case, the undisputed title would pass over to interim champ Aspinall, and the door would be wide open for a huge battle between the two undisputed champions in 2025.
And if a Jones retirement would mean that Aspinall doesn’t get the chance to win the undisputed title with a victory over the pound-for-pound great, being promoted to the undisputed champ and thrust into a champion-versus-champion clash with the light heavyweight king would be a challenge he’d happily take on.
“As I say, I’ve got a lot of respect for Alex Pereira and what he’s done in the sport, especially in a short amount of time,” he said.
“But if we’re going to make it happen, it’s gonna be for the undisputed title. So, I’ll see him there.”
