Dricus du Plessis believes Tom Aspinall is the future of the UFC heavyweight division following Jon Jones‘ retirement, praising Aspinall’s unique skills and predicting a long championship reign.
Dricus du Plessis believes Tom Aspinall is the future of the UFC. Aspinall has become the undisputed heavyweight champion after Jon Jones’ retirement. With Jones out, du Plessis sees a long reign ahead for Aspinall.
“The first time you saw Tom fight, you knew he was special,” du Plessis shared with Betway South Africa. Aspinall moves like a middleweight—agile, with skills in grappling, striking, and wrestling. Du Plessis is thrilled for him, predicting a lengthy championship reign.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of heavyweights on his level right now,” he added.
Interestingly, du Plessis and Aspinall both entered the UFC around the same time. Du Plessis debuted on Fight Island in October 2020, coinciding with Aspinall’s second fight. Now, du Plessis is gearing up for his third middleweight title defense against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Meanwhile, Aspinall prepares to defend his title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321.
Aspinall missed a unification bout with Jones, who had beaten Gane at UFC 285. Still, Aspinall boasts an impressive record: eight wins and one loss, the latter due to a freak knee injury against Curtis Blaydes, which he later avenged in July 2024.
Also debuting on that Fight Island card was Ilia Topuria, future lightweight and featherweight champion. Topuria recently claimed a vacant 155-pound title with a knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Du Plessis believes Topuria is destined for the UFC Hall of Fame.
“He was literally in my changing room,” du Plessis recalled. Both won titles a month apart, and du Plessis is thrilled for Topuria, calling him a Hall of Famer.
“Unbeaten. The first to hold two titles without a loss,” du Plessis said, praising Topuria’s striking and power. He considers Topuria one of the best in the UFC right now.