Tom Aspinall blocks out Jon Jones talk, locks In on Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has made it clear where his priorities lie ahead of UFC 321. The British star is fully locked in on his title defense against Ciryl Gane, shutting down any further discussions about Jon Jones.
Aspinall, who won the interim title after a dominant victory over Sergei Pavlovich, faces one of the division’s most technical strikers in Gane. While fans have been clamoring for a super fight between Aspinall and the reigning undisputed champion Jon Jones, Aspinall insists that the conversation is over, at least for now
At Friday’s UFC 321 press conference, Aspinall made it clear that Gane is his sole focus. “Ciryl’s the guy I’m fighting, so he’s the biggest test right now,” Aspinall said. “Jon Jones is retired, so I don’t really have much to say on that, to be honest. I’m fighting this guy and this guy’s really good, so I’ll be as ready as I can be.” Aspinall vs. Gane has been a fight fans have wanted for a long time. These two have thrown each other’s names around before, but for one reason or another, the matchup never came together until now. Aspinall is confident they’re about to give fans one of the best heavyweight fights the UFC can offer. In his mind, this is just the beginning, the heavyweight division’s biggest moments are still ahead.
“I think the biggest difference is we’re both better,” Aspinall said. “We’re both better now than we were a few years ago. We both have a lot more experience. Ciryl’s had two title shots already, I’ve defended an interim title and now hold the undisputed title, so I think this fight’s going to be better and I think it’s pretty rare that you see any guys of our size that move like we do. “I think this is really like the new age of the heavyweights and people are really going to start to see the difference between guys like us and guys 10 years ago.”
Friday’s press conference was respective and low on trash talk, with Aspinall keeping his answers short and focused. when asked how the fight came together, Aspinall explained “There wasn’t really anyone else available, so this matchup made sense,” Aspinall said at the start before being drowned out by a chorus of boos. “I’ll just let Ciryl, you just do your thing, man. You just do your thing. I’ll just chill.”
UFC 321 is scheduled for October 25, 2025 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and all eyes will be on Aspinall as he looks to solidify his place at the top of the heavyweight division. When the cage door closes at UFC 321, there will be no more words, just two elite heavyweights chasing greatness. Whether it ends in a quick finish or a five-round war, this fight could redefine the future of the division
