SUMMARY
- Tom Aspinall secured the UFC's interim heavyweight title in November 2023 by defeating Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295.
- To stay active during the waiting period, Aspinall took to X (formerly Twitter) to ask his fans, "Who should I fight in 2024?"
UFC’s interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, has undoubtedly proven himself as one of the most thrilling fighters in the current roster. However, a logjam at the pinnacle of his division forces him to play the waiting game, somewhat tempering his excitement.
In November 2023, Aspinall secured the interim title against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. He now waits for Jon Jones to recover from a torn pectoral muscle. While Jones plans a title unification bout with Stipe Miocic, complicating Aspinall’s path with potential post-fight scenarios.
Despite the uncertainty at the top, nothing is preventing the young British fighter from staying active in the meantime by taking on opponents further down the rankings. On New Year’s Eve, Aspinall shared his perspective on what could be his next move in this waiting period.
Dream fight https://t.co/i83j9oVlqX
— Tom Aspinall (@AspinallMMA) December 31, 2023
Aspinall took to X(formerly Twitter) and asked his fans, “Who should I fight in 2024?” This tweet garnered interesting responses. The one that caught the eye of many was undoubtedly when a fan posted a GIF of Brock Lesnar in the cage. The text heading the GIF said, “Just to watch you smoke him in 1.” To which Aspinall surprisingly replied, “Dream fight.”
This comes as a surprise as no less than 5 months ago Tom Aspinall conveyed his desire to fight against Jon Jones. In an interview, Aspinall was asked if he was ready to fight “Bones” to which he replied, “Yes.”
Brock Lesnar last fought in the UFC at UFC 200 in July 2016. Where he dominated Mark Hunt to win the fight via unanimous decision. He earned a UFC record $2.5 million purse for the win, which was later overturned into a No Contest.
Fans would undoubtedly want to see Tom Aspinall and Brock Lesnar have a showdown in the Octagon. But Tom Aspinall’s dream fight doesn’t seem to be turning into a reality anytime soon.
Tom Aspinall reacts to fan’s suggestions for his next fight
Tom Aspinall surely does have a lot of takers. That’s the plus of being one of the most exciting fighters on the roster. This has been evident from the frenzy with which fans want to see him in the Octagon sooner rather than later.
The last few weeks have been rather happening for the “Honey Badger.” Many people speculating an Alex Pereira vs Tom Aspinall showdown in the future owing to the cryptic messages shared by both fighters. While many fans want to see Aspinall take down Ciryl Gane while waiting for the Jones vs Miocic winner to be declared.
Tom Aspinall recently posted a tweet saying, “Who should I fight in 2024?” to spice up the speculations. Aspinall responded to many suggestions given by fans with what he thought about them.
Who should I fight in 2024?
— Tom Aspinall (@AspinallMMA) December 31, 2023
One fan wrote, “I think you should fight Poatan if he’s really about it.” To which Aspinall replied, “He isn’t.” Aspinall further added, “He wants to defend his 205 titles. Which I understand.”
Another fan wrote, “Get that Curtis Blaydes fight back. Technically you lost but I know it bothers you that there’s an L on your record from him. Gotta get it back. If he beats almedia that’s the route to go.” To which Tom replied, “Winner of Blaydes Almeida sounds good.”
Winner of blaydes almeida sounds good https://t.co/Je8R6YtfRI
— Tom Aspinall (@AspinallMMA) December 31, 2023
Scheduled for UFC 299 on March 9th, Curtis Blaydes vs. Jailton Almeida allows the winner a quick turnaround for a rumored July event in England. Despite the lengthy wait for Tom Aspinall fans, it aligns with the current trend. Conor McGregor’s late June return and the absence of Jones vs. Miocic create a waiting game.
Similar to Islam Makhachev’s 2023 hiatus for Abu Dhabi, the UFC needs to fill a U.K. show, and Aspinall is the ideal candidate. While fans wait to see the Brit back in action, whom do you think Aspinall should be fighting next?