With heavyweight champion Jon Jones scheduled to face former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic when he returns from harm, the UFC heavyweight division is in limbo.
In Jones’ absence, the struggle promotion topped an interim heavyweight champion and now he’ll defend the interim belt at UFC 304 on July 27 in Manchester, England. Manchester’s personal Tom Aspinall captured the interim title by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in November and can put the interim belt on the road in a rematch towards fourth-ranked Curtis Blaydes.
If Aspinall defeated Blaydes, he plans on sitting out and ready for a unification match towards the winner of the the Jones and Miocic title struggle. He and Blaydes met for the primary time in July 2022. Fifteen seconds into the bout Aspinall fell to the canvas holding his knee. The struggle was stopped because of the harm and Blaydes picked up a TKO win.
“We’re two completely different fighters now. We have improved rather a lot, each of us, since then,” Aspinall informed talkSPORT MMA. “I’ve acquired much more expertise since then particularly massive struggle expertise which is huge.”
“My confidence has grown masses since then. Simply every little thing’s higher. Everyting’s rather a lot higher. I’m a brand new model of myself now than I used to be once I fought him final time. He’s improved as properly so complete new struggle this time.”
So far as Jon Jones, Aspinall stays targeted on defeating Blaydes. That domino has to fall for a unification bout to happen.
“I am over it at this level. I’m preventing Curtis Blaydes. It’s a tricky struggle and I’m getting ready for Curtis so Jon Jones and all the remainder of the politics are fairly irrelevant to me proper now. Proper now, targeted on him and nothing else,” Aspinall mentioned. “If I win this one, which I imagine I’ll, my subsequent struggle must be for undisputed. Positively, and I’ll wait it out if I’ve to after this one. Proper now, that doesn’t exist. What exists for me is Curtis Blaydes and nothing extra. I will cross that bridge once I come to it.”
