Interim UFC heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall basked in Dana White’s pivot on the UFC’s pound-for-pound debate.
Tom Aspinall is in active negotiations to face UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones in a title unification bout later this year. While nothing is official as of this writing, both sides are optimistic a deal will be finalized in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, Aspinall remains behind Jones and others in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. Jones, who is arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time, has been UFC CEO Dana White‘s repeated pick for the deserving pound-for-pound No. 1 spot.
White previously attacked anyone with a differing opinion on the pound-for-pound rankings, specifically those who placed Islam Makhachev over Jones for the No. 1 slot. However, White made a big pivot after Makhachev’s dominant win over Renato Moicano to set the UFC lightweight title defense record at UFC 311.
White gave Makhachev the nod as the deserving pound-for-pound king following UFC 311, reversing months of his previous stance. Aspinall, a big supporter of Makhachev, found White’s post-UFC 311 reversal hilarious.
Tom Aspinall laughs off Dana White ‘jumping ship’ in P4P stance
In a recent upload to his YouTube channel, Aspinall reacted to White’s stunning admission.
“Now we’re seeing Dana White coming out and saying that [Islam] is the pound-for-pound No. 1 in the world, Islam Makhachev!” Aspinall said. “As we all know, to me, pound-for-pound is a lot of made-up stuff. I don’t look into that, but it’s just funny that he’s kind of jumped ship now from Jon Jones to Islam.
“Islam did what he was supposed to do. Went out there, fought whoever was put in front of him, which is what a champion is supposed to do. Got the win and he’s levels above anybody else in that division. He’s going to hold the belt for a long, long time, and that is something that I’m very excited for because I’m a massive Islam Makhachev fan.”
Makhachev, upon finding out about White’s post-fight remarks, was thrilled to have the long-deserved support of the UFC headman. His five UFC lightweight title defenses are the most in promotional history, ahead of Khabib Nurmagomedov, BJ Penn, and Benson Henderson.
As of this writing, Aspinall sits at No. 8 in the latest UFC pound-for-pound rankings, although that could change following Tuesday’s update. A win over Jones would catapult him up the ladder.
Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is in active negotiations
Aspinall most recently knocked out Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in his lone interim title defense. He avenged an earlier injury stoppage defeat suffered to Blaydes in 2022, earning recent wins over Marcin Tybura and Sergei Pavlovich.
Jones made his first UFC heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic in November, winning by TKO at UFC 309. He captured the then-vacant UFC heavyweight championship by submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.
Aspinall and Jones are on a collision course for later in 2025, and their heavyweight fight will be for much more than the lineal belt. After White’s pivot, Aspinall has the chance to join Makhachev atop the pound-for-pound debate.
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In a recent interview, UFC heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall couldn’t help but chuckle at Dana White’s decision to “jump ship” from Jon Jones in the ongoing pound-for-pound debate.
Aspinall, who is currently on a four-fight win streak in the UFC, expressed his amusement at White’s sudden change of stance regarding Jones’ status as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
“It’s funny how quickly Dana White is willing to change his tune when it comes to Jon Jones,” Aspinall said with a smirk. “One minute he’s the GOAT, the next minute he’s not even in the conversation. It just goes to show how fickle the MMA world can be.”
Aspinall went on to praise Jones for his accomplishments inside the Octagon, but also noted that there are plenty of other fighters who deserve to be recognized as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.
“Jon Jones is undeniably one of the greatest fighters of all time, but there are so many other incredible athletes out there who deserve to be in the pound-for-pound discussion,” Aspinall explained. “It’s not just about one fighter anymore – it’s about recognizing the talent and skill of all the fighters who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in MMA.”
Aspinall’s comments are sure to spark further debate among MMA fans and pundits, but one thing is for certain – the pound-for-pound debate is far from over, and there are plenty of fighters who are worthy of consideration.
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