Tag: Tom Aspinall

Dana White on Tom Aspinall, stripping Jon Jones, Deiveson Figueiredo’s 135 debut and more

Dana White weighs in on Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones, Deiveson Figueiredo, Clay Guida, Bellator, the PFL and more.

AUSTIN, Texas – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] spoke to MMA Junkie along with other media following Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 52.

The UFC CEO touched on multiple topics regarding the event, such as [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag]’s bantamweight debut, [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag]’s knockout win over Bobby Green, [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]’s longevity in the promotion and more.

White also discussed other topics around the sport, like [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag]’s recent comments asking to get the Stipe Miocic fight and for Jon Jones to get stripped of his UFC heavyweight title.

Below, you can find White’s comments from the UFC on ESPN 52 post-fight press conference.

Tom Aspinall on fan backlash for calling UFC to strip Jon Jones from title: ‘I’m just trying to get my dream fight’

Tom Aspinall responds to the fan criticism of his comments, calling for the UFC to strip Jon Jones from the heavyweight title.

It seems like [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] has been feeling the heat on social media after calling for Jon Jones to be stripped of his UFC heavyweight title.

Aspinall, who won the interim title earlier this month, made some bold comments and said Jones should have the title stripped while he recovers from a torn pectoral muscle. He also added that he should be the undisputed champion and defend against Stipe Miocic, as he waits for Jones.

Although many agreed with Aspinall’s comments, others didn’t, and they made sure to let him know.

“You see a lot of online trolls, but mate – I’m just trying to get my dream fight,” Aspinall told Michael Bisping. “Give me a break. I’m trying to fight one of the legends. That’s all.

“I’ll fight everyone. I’ve got another 10 years in this sport before it’s over, and I’m going to fight these other guys. I would love to get a crack at these two guys before they retire just to get it on my resume. I’m not getting beyond myself or anything like that. I just want a crack at the guys I’ve been watching for the last 10 years. I’m a massive fan of the sport and I think it would be brilliant. That’s all. I’m not out there hating on anybody. I respect these guys.”

Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) won the interim belt when he knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in the UFC 295 co-main event. That fight was made on just two weeks’ notice in response to Jones’ training injury, which scrapped his title fight against Miocic. That have been indications the UFC wants Jones to defend the belt against Miocic in his return sometime in mid-2024. Both fighters have been rumored to be on the brink of retirement.

Aspinall said he’s yet to hear from the UFC in terms of its plans with him. When asked if he thinks he’ll fight both or either Jones or Miocic before they retire, Aspinall was unsure.

“I don’t know to be honest,” Aspinall said. “But I know you have to shoot your shot, and sometimes you have to be vocal about it. It’s usually not my style to be out there vocal and calling the shots and this and that, but as I said, it’s my dream – and anyone knocking someone for trying to get their dream fights and dream experience, it’s just silly.

“I would love to experience that before they retire and see how I get on, see how my skills match up. … I’m trying to challenge myself and live my dream while I have the chance.”

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MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month for November: Tom Aspinall claims interim gold in 69 seconds

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from November 2023.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from November 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month award for November.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

Nominees

Tom Aspinall open to a boxing match to stay active: ‘I don’t want to be waiting around for Jon Jones’

Tom Aspinall would love to lace up the boxing gloves if he’s forced to wait for Jon Jones to come back.

[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] would love to lace up the boxing gloves if he’s forced to wait for [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] to come back.

Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) captured the interim heavyweight title by knocking out Pavlovich at UFC 295, but will have to wait for heavyweight champion Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) to defend his belt against Stipe Miocic in 2024 before unifying the belts.

Aspinall called for Jones to vacate his belt so he can keep the division moving, since Jones is expected to be sidelined for at least eight months after needing surgery for a torn pectoral muscle. With that option unlikely, Aspinall suggests he compete in boxing in the meantime.

“I want to be active. I’m healthy,” Aspinall said in an interview with Fight Disciples about boxing. “I’ll absolutely do that. If I can pass that with the UFC, I’ll do that. I think it’s a good idea. I like it – I like it a lot.

“If they want me to do it, I’ll do it. But I want to be active. I had a year off with the knee injury and stuff. I’ve come back. If I do say so myself, I’ve looked pretty good in my two since then. Everything’s been good. I’m in a really good spot right now. Let’s keep it going – keep it moving.”

Aspinall thinks he should fight Stipe Miocic instead, then the winner face Jones when he comes back.

“I don’t want to be waiting around for Jon Jones,” Aspinall said. “Who knows if he’s going to come back or not? He doesn’t know. Nobody knows. So let’s not hold the division up with that. Let me fight Stipe or I’ll fight another contender, or if possible, we’ll do one of them (boxing). That’s a great idea.”

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UFC 295 ‘Fight Motion’: Five main-card finishes in super-slow mo

With five finishes on the pay-per-view main card, UFC 295 certainly made its case for Event of the Year.

With five finishes on the pay-per-view main card, UFC 295 certainly made its case for Event of the Year.

In the main event, former middleweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] became a two-division champion by knocking out Jiri Prochazka to claim the light heavyweight title. And in the co-main event, [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] won the interim heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of Sergei Pavlovic.

[autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag], [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] and [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] also scored impressive finishes on the Nov. 11 main card at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Check out all the highlights in super-slow motion in the UFC 295 “Fight Motion” video highlights above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

Curtis Blaydes expected Tom Aspinall to beat Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 – but not like that

Curtis Blaydes thinks Sergei Pavlovich gave Tom Aspinall too much space to work at UFC 295.

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] gave [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] too much space to work.

Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) knocked out Pavlovich (18-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in 69 seconds to claim the interim heavyweight title at UFC 295.

Aspinall’s lone octagon loss came to Blaydes by TKO in July 2022, when his knee blew out just 15 seconds into the fight. Having fought both Aspinall and Pavlovich before, Blaydes (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) picked Aspinall to win, but was surprised at the quick blitz through knockout artist Pavlovich.

“Going in, I did have Aspinall winning, but I didn’t think it would happen in the fashion that it did happen,” Blaydes told Middle Easy. “I thought he would out-technique him and just be a smarter fighter. I expected Sergei to be a lot more aggressive. That was one of the biggest things. He allowed Aspinall to get bouncing, get moving, and gave him space.

“That’s one of the differences between fighting at the Apex and using a standard octagon – a lot more space, a lot harder to be aggressive when there are angles you can take. I think that was the beginning of the end when he allowed Aspinall the freedom of movement.”

Many are touting Aspinall to potentially be the one to beat UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and Blaydes doesn’t rule out that possibility. He thinks anyone can win a fight at heavyweight.

“It’s heavyweight,” Blaydes said. “Anybody can beat anybody. Sergei can beat Jon. I can beat Jon. It’s whoever gets hit in the face first. That’s really all it is. Regardless of the skill, and technique, and experience, and all that, heavyweight there is one equalizer; power. Power beats skill. Power beats speed. Power at heavyweight is everything and every heavyweight has power. It’s a prerequisite.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

Video: Tom Aspinall wants Jon Jones stripped of heavyweight title. Should UFC listen?

Does Tom Aspinall have a point about being the “real champion right now” since Jon Jones is out for a while?

In the wake of his interim heavyweight title victory at UFC 295, [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] made the media rounds doing interviews, but there was one message the rung loud and clear.

“I think [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] should be stripped from the title to be honest, because everyone else does when they get injured like that,” Aspinall told Michael Bisping. “I don’t see why he’s still got it. I don’t understand that. I think I should be the real champion right now.”

Aspinall made a huge statement by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in the first round a little over a week ago at UFC 295. Jones, meanwhile, is out for the next several months because of a torn pectoral tendon.

In addition to believing Jones should be stripped, Aspinall said he is will to fight Stipe Miocic while Jones recovers. Should the UFC listen and move off of the Jones vs. Miocic fight? Our “Spinning Back Clique” of Nolan King, Danny Segura and Brian “Goze” Garcia answer that question with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their discussion in the video above or check out this week’s full episode below on YouTube or in podcast form.

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UFC 295 medical suspensions: Jiri Prochazka, Sergei Pavlovich among 19 suspended indefinitely

Nineteen indefinite suspensions were handed out after UFC 295, per the New York State Athletic Commission.

UFC 295 took place Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York and featured 13 fights.

On Monday, MMA Junkie acquired a list of athlete medical suspensions from the New York State Athletic Commission, the sanctioning body that oversaw the event. Most injury specifics were not disclosed.

Nineteen of the 26 combatants were given indefinite suspensions and will need to be cleared by a doctor before they return. That’s a high number of indefinite suspensions compared to the average UFC event, although the NYSAC may have different safety protocols compared to other regulatory bodies. All 26 fighters were also given mandatory suspensions, which vary from seven days to 90 days.

Check out the full list of medical suspensions from UFC 295 below.

Michael Bisping lauds Tom Aspinall’s striking advantage over Jon Jones: ‘Tom takes his head off’

Michael Bisping doesn’t think Jon Jones can stand with Tom Aspinall in a potential UFC title unifier.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] doesn’t think [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] can stand with [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag].

Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in just 69 seconds to capture the interim heavyweight title in this past Saturday’s UFC 295 co-main event. Aspinall currently averages the shortest fight time in UFC history at 2:10.

But Aspinall will have to wait before getting the opportunity to unify the heavyweight title. Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) vs. Stipe Miocic is expected to be rebooked, with Aspinall facing the winner. If Jones wins, Bisping hopes Jones sticks around for the title unifier, or it will be a bad look, in his opinion.

“The perfect plan for Jon Jones would be go to heavyweight, become the champion, beat Stipe who’s the greatest heavyweight, and then beat the No. 1 contender, or now as we have an interim champion,” Bisping said in a recent episode of his “Believe You Me” podcast. “I think if Jones doesn’t fight Tom Aspinall and he retires, we know what everyone’s going to say. I don’t even need to say it. So, Jones, I think his back’s up against the wall, if he beats Stipe, of course.”

Jones is widely considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, but Bisping stands by his fellow Brit. Aspinall has 11 knockouts on his resume – all in the first round – and Bisping sees Jones suffering a similar fate if the fight plays out on the feet.

“It’s never going to happen, I’m sorry,” Bisping said on Jones beating Aspinall. “I love Jon Jones, I think he’s incredible. If you look at it on paper, Jones has never been a knockout artist with his hands. He takes people down, he wears them down, he has master game plans.

“The fight IQ is through the roof. Taking Tom down? I don’t know. He’s a great wrestler, he probably could. He took (Daniel Cormier) down a couple of times. I think Tom could get back to the feet, but on the feet, I think Tom takes his head off.”

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Tom Aspinall on Henry Cejudo’s criticism of UFC interim title celebration: ‘Doesn’t matter to me’

Tom Aspinall fires back at Henry Cejudo over criticism of celebration at UFC 295.

[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] fired back at [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] over the recent comments made about Aspinall’s celebration at UFC 295.

Aspinall won the UFC interim title this past Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 295, knocking out Sergei Pavlovich. Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC), who had taken the fight on short notice, was very emotional and collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by emotions from his KO win.

Well, Cejudo, who’s a former two-division UFC champion, had a few things to say about Aspinall’s reaction.

“Watching Tom Aspinall win the interim world title, he’s already celebrating, it’s an interim, Tom,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “Save those tears for when you actually win the real belt. Sometimes, when I see people like that, they just get too emotional after an interim belt. Yeah, you got a trophy, but they might as well dip that thing in either silver or bronze because it’s not the real thing. I mean that with all due respect.

“Sometimes I wonder, as a competitor, I start to think about their mentalities. How is it or what is it that makes them, has he thought that he’s reached the pinnacle of the world? I’m not picking on you, Tom. I’m just saying to you, save those tears for when you actually own the undisputed title.”

Speaking with Michael Bisping, Aspinall responded to Cejudo’s comments. The Englishman was unbothered by what Cejudo had to say, but did take a few jabs in the process.

“It doesn’t matter to me what he says, he’s about 5’3,” Aspinall said. “If he’s talking, I probably won’t hear him because of how far away he is from me. So yeah, it doesn’t matter. He’s trying to get headlines, isn’t he? He’s trying to get headlined, obviously.”

Aspinall, who doesn’t have a relationship with Cejudo, went on to explain what kind of criticism does bother him.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Aspinall said. “What bothers me is when someone I know has an issue, and they got my number, but they want to go online to beef it up. If you got an issue and got some questions, give me a ring. You know what I mean. I mean in general. That’s when it annoys me, when it’s people that I know. When it’s strangers, I couldn’t care less. I couldn’t care less.”

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