Tom Aspinall has been promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion following Jon Jones‘ retirement, ending their longstanding feud.
Tom Aspinall can finally put the Jon Jones drama behind him. On Saturday, after UFC Baku, Dana White told reporters that Jones is officially retired. Jones, the undisputed heavyweight champ, is hanging up his gloves at 37. This means Aspinall moves from interim to undisputed status.
Shortly after the announcement, Aspinall—ranked No. 1 by MMA Fighting—shared his thoughts on Instagram. “For you fans,” he wrote. “It’s time to get this heavyweight division going. An active undisputed champion.”
Aspinall and Jones have been at odds for nearly two years. Jones often said he wasn’t interested in facing Aspinall in a unification bout. Jones clinched a vacant title in March 2023 by defeating Ciryl Gane. He then defended it against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, after a year’s delay.
Aspinall, however, boasts a more convincing résumé at heavyweight. With an 8-1 UFC record, his only loss came from an injury. He later avenged this by defeating Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 to defend his interim title.
Now, Aspinall waits to hear who his next challenger will be. Ciryl Gane, Jailton Almeida, and former two-division champ Alex Pereira are all potential contenders. Exciting times ahead!