Tom Aspinall has done it! The British heavyweight fighter becomes the brand new UFC interim Heavyweight Champion. After the undisputed champion, Jon Jones withdrew from UFC 295 main event, Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich agreed to compete for the interim belt on just two week’s notice. It was Aspinall who made the most of it and emerged victorious.
Ahead of the bout, the Manchester-born fighter predicted that someone would definitely get KO’ed in the co-main event. His prediction came true as Aspinall got rid of Sergei in the very first round of the fight with some heavy punches. The referee stopped the bout at the 1:09 minute mark of round 1. While fans may think Aspinall steamrolled his Russian opponent by looking at the result on paper, that was not the case.
TOM ASPINALL GETS IT DONE!!! 🤯@AspinallMMA gets the TKO in round one! #UFC295 pic.twitter.com/rduokFIDRS
— UFC (@ufc) November 12, 2023
In the initial seconds of the fight, Sergei tagged Tom and made him back off. The British fighter even admitted to it in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. However, he adjusted and finished the fight in a dominant fashion. Not only does he become the interim champ, but Aspinall has also improved his UFC record of 7-1.
One person who enjoyed the win more than anybody else in the crowd was Michael Bisping. Bisping was the very first English champion in the UFC and had high hopes that Tom would be able to replicate the same success. As soon as the KO punch landed, Bisping could be seen standing on his feet and passionately celebrating the win.
Michael Bisping reacts to Tom Aspinall capturing UFC gold! 💥#UFC295
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) November 12, 2023
There is an uncanny similarity between Aspinall and Bisping’s title wins. Both fighters won their title fights with just two week’s notice. With this win, Aspinall secures a shot at the undisputed title in his next fight. However, that title shot may be anytime soon.
Tom Aspinall will have to wait for his title shot even after UFC 295 win
Tom Aspinall is the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion and it means he should be the next in line for a crack at Jon Jones. However, as previously mentioned, Jones is currently out for nearly 8 months after the pectoral injury. Prior to his injury, Jones was scheduled to fight Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 295. And, if Jonny Bones is to be believed, that fight is still on!
Stipe Miocic is in the building! 🇺🇸 #UFC295
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) November 12, 2023
Prior to undergoing surgery, the 36-year-old confirmed that he would still fight Stipe on his return fight. So it does look like Aspinall will be on standby for an extended period. However, there is precedent for interim title holders defending their belts. Most famously, Tony Ferguson did so against Justin Gaethje at UFC 249. What do you think Tom Aspinall should do? Let us know in the comments below.