After months of being toyed around by Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall was finally crowned UFC heavyweight champion and may soon defend his title against Ciryl Gane. Despite this recent victory, the champ’s dad, Andy Aspinall believes there might be more opportunities for him in the boxing world.
Aspinall is eager to get back into the cage after his hiatus while waiting for former champion Jon Jones. The champ is fully focused on his next matchup, but his father and longtime coach, Andy Aspinall, says the fighter might consider other ventures if the opportunity presents itself.
“He’ll have a fight now and hopefully he’ll have a fight in January, and hopefully I’d like him to headline a card in England if he wants to do that again,” Andy said on Tom’s YouTube channel. “And then just see what he wants to do from that. If he’s not bothered about the money, I’d love him to have a very highly paid boxing match for the money. The money’s there, and I don’t see why somebody as talented as Tom shouldn’t have a piece of that money when the boxers are getting a hundred times more, more than a hundred times more. The UFC ain’t paying that type of money. If they would, it would be great and he could get the money, but I think these one percent of people who are very, very good should get paid.
“Tom’s money, some people say it’s good, but compared to a soccer player, an American footballer who we’ve talked to when we’re in America, he’s earning a tiny fraction of what they’re earning. He’s one of the best in the world at doing what he does and he’s not getting paid enough. And it’s very dangerous, so when he’s got enough to get out of it, I’d say get out of it.”
Although Aspinall’s father wants what’s best for his son career-wise, this is not to say he isn’t conscious about his son’s health. The coach says Tom can retire anytime he wants, but it would be good to make some extra money in boxing, as he believes it offers a far more lucrative payday.
“It’s his job,” Andy said. “You know, if I was doing a job, I’d want to be the best at doing the job, and he’s inherited that. He trains really hard and he’s learned a lot, and he’s very good. He deserves it. He’s feeling it. I think if he was a roofer, I’d hope he’d be a good roofer. If he chose to dig roads, I’d hope he’d enjoy it. It doesn’t really matter, it’s just a job, isn’t it? It’s just what he does. I don’t think of him any differently at all. Because when do you know when you’ve made it? How do you know?”
For now, Aspinall’s father is content watching his son soar and be the best version of himself. He admits that he views his son’s MMA career like any other job and wants him to walk away when the time is right.
“When he retires,” Andy said, when asked when he’ll feel like they’ve made it. “When he gets out of it healthy, that’s all I’m bothered about. He’s made some money now, he could get out of it now if he wanted to and do something else. He still wants to prove a bit more and I’m still active enough to keep doing it with him, so when he wants to get out, he can get out.
“Won’t bother me if he packs in tomorrow. Just what we do together, this. Find something else to do together. He’s got three kids. Going to do loads of stuff with them, so still got loads of stuff to do, hopefully.”
Aspinall, has lost just once in nine UFC appearances, and that setback happened 15 seconds into a fight with Curtis Blaydes when he suffered a knee injury. The two met in a rematch at UFC 304, where Aspinall knocked Blaydes out in 60 seconds.
