Tom Aspinall says UFC has ‘all bases covered’ for Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic outcome

Tom Aspinall has said the UFC has multiple plans in place for the heavyweight title picture, depending on the outcome of Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic.

Jones is due to defend the heavyweight title against former champion Miocic at UFC 309 on 16 November, a year after the fight fell through.

Jones, 37, suffered a pectoral injury two weeks before UFC 295, leading his bout with Miocic, 42, to be postponed. Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich stepped in, with the Briton knocking out the Russian in round one to win the interim title.

Aspinall, 31, has since retained that belt with a knockout of Curtis Blaydes in July, and he hopes to face the winner of Jones vs Miocic. However, Jones has teased that he could retire after UFC 309, and many fans expect Miocic to do the same.

“[If] one guy wants to retire, one guy wants to continue, both guys want to retire, whatever – we’ve got all bases covered,” Aspinall told Uncrowned on Monday (14 October).

Aspinall also confirmed he will serve as the back-up fighter for Jones vs Miocic. Last year, Pavlovich was the back-up fighter for the failed edition of that fight, but Miocic reportedly turned down a bout with the Russian after Jones was injured.

“Yes, it is official,” Aspinall said. “I mean, Dana [White, UFC president] announced it a while ago now, but I didn’t actually hear anything from the UFC. But now we’ve actually spoken, everything’s going good. We’ve come to an agreement about it, we know what’s happening going forward.

“We’ve got plans, we’ve got future fight plans, everything is right there. It’s gonna be a good couple of years, let me tell you. Big plans, big, big, massive plans. I can’t lay it out for you!”

Aspinall did say, however, he does not expect to be needed on 16 November.

“I will be ready on 16 November if I need to be,” the Wigan heavyweight said. “My gut’s telling me [I won’t be needed], to be honest. Do I think it’s going to happen? Is it likely? In my opinion, probably not. But will I be ready? Absolutely.”

Jones is the consensus greatest light-heavyweight in UFC history, while Miocic is widely deemed the best heavyweight to have fought in the promotion.

Neither has been especially active in recent years, though. Jones’s submission of Ciryl Gane in March 2023, to win the vacant heavyweight title, was his first fight in three years. Meanwhile, Miocic has not fought since March 2021, when he lost the heavyweight belt to Francis Ngannou via knockout.