New UFC heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall lays out plans for busy 2025: ‘I’ve wasted enough time’

Tom Aspinall waited a long time to be promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. With that settled, he’s hoping to make up for lost time.

Aspinall claimed the interim heavyweight title with a quick knockout of Sergei Pavlovich in late 2023. He spent nearly all of the time since chasing a fight with Jon Jones, who held the division’s undisputed title. However, Jones had no interest in the matchup, and instead beat an aging Stipe Miocic last November, and after months of pulling Aspinall along, finally announced his retirement last weekend. That meant that Aspinall was finally became the true heavyweight king.

While Aspinall is surely disappointed he didn’t get to fight Jon Jones, he seems somewhat relieved. Speaking to on Diary of a CEO, Aspinall laid out plans to fight two more times in 2025.

Tom Aspinall hopes to stay active in the UFC

“I’m going to be fighting hopefully twice this year,” Aspinall said (transcribed by MMA Mania). “That’s my plan, at least. I think I’ve wasted enough time. We’re looking to get a fight booked quick and it’s looking like it’s going to be pretty soon, anyway. And then hopefully, if everything goes well in the first one, I’m uninjured — which is easier said than done getting through a fight with a guy my size and coming out with no injuries.

“But if I can do that, I would like to fight at the end of the year as well. That’d be perfect.”

It’s not clear when Aspinall will fight next. Whenever it happens, he expects France’s Ciryl Gane to be his next challenger. The Frenchman is currently ranked No. 1 in the division, and is one of the few top contenders Aspinall has yet to beat.

“I’ve actually fought a lot of the top 10,” Aspinall said. “One of the guys I’ve not fought is Ciryl Gane, a French guy. I was actually chasing that fight a few times before. He was ducking and diving around himself a little bit. He is due a little bit of a beating off me. I look forward to that.”