With interim title holder left out, Tom Aspinall chases undisputed crown
What began last November as a simple two-man contest over the undisputed heavyweight championship has splintered into a quagmire involving three champions across two weight classes.Indeed, UFC 309 headliner Jon Jones on Saturday was set to, at last, defend his UFC heavyweight crown against Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden — as was the plan a year ago, before a torn pectoral muscle shelved the champion.But that left interim champion Tom Aspinall, who won his title at the Garden last year when the UFC created it to fill the void left by losing Jones-Miocic, twisting in the wind to not just find out who holds the other belt but whether either man is interested in facing him next.Generally, the creation of an interim title leads to a swift booking of a unification bout to decide the one champion to rule them all.
Not the case here, as Aspinall kept busy with a rare interim title defense in July while Jones rehabilitated.The Brit made it clear this week that he would not be making a second; his next fight will be for the undisputed crown, regardless of opponent.Wide speculation had been that Jones, Miocic or both could opt to ride off into the sunset after Saturday, thus elevating Aspinall to undisputed status, UFC CEO Dana White had said.
Jones, speaking with The Post in the leadup to UFC 309, suggested he would be much more intrigued to face Alex Pereira — the champion at light heavyweight, the division Jones lorded over for the vast majority of his illustrious but controversial career — than Aspinall.White on Friday assured Jones he could have his dessert … as long as he takes his medicine.“If he beats Tom Aspinall, then yes, I would do the Alex Pereira fight,” White said during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” with the unsaid caveat being Jones first defeats Miocic, who arrived in New York this week as the former two-time heavyweight champion.The UFC figurehead has been a dogged proponent of Jones as his promotion’s No.1 pound-for-pou...