Dana White Says He Hates Tom Aspinall's Potential Championship Decision

UFC President Dana White is known for his straightforward opinions, and he gave his blunt answer when asked about Aspinall's position during an interview with Adam Catterall for TNT Sports.

"You know what I think about that before you ask me," White began. "I hate that. Many friends, relatives, name it, have all fought each other before.”

White argued that competition inside the Octagon is separate from personal relationships, stating, “It doesn’t determine whether you are friends with somebody or you hate somebody. You’re competing against them to see who the best is, but that’s his decision.”

He expressed sheer disbelief at Aspinall's drastic alternative, saying, “To even think about vacating it because you don’t wanna compete against somebody is absolutely insane.”

For context, Aspinall has acknowledged the unique position he is in, reasoning that if both he and Delija were on a collision course for a title shot simultaneously, a fight might be inevitable. 

However, as the reigning champion, he believes the situation can be avoided since Delija is still climbing the rankings. 

"I'm already at the point where I am the champion, and he's still got a few fights to go," Aspinall stated in an interview with Spinnin Backfist, hopeful that the issue would never become a practical problem for them.

He also explained, in an interview with James Duncan and Fuhad Dawodu from the ShxtsnGigs podcast, "I've got a rule, where, if guys who have been in my house, and been around my family or vice versa, that I just can't envision myself fighting them at all."

Ante Delija is a formidable heavyweight in his own right. The man is a former PFL champion, and he made a spectacular UFC debut in September by knocking out perennial contender Marcin Tybura in the first round, a performance that earned him a "Performance of the Night" bonus. 

This victory propelled him into the UFC's top 10 rankings, and he is currently slated to face no. 6-ranked Waldo Cortes-Acosta on November 2. A win there could see him skyrocket into the division's top five, potentially putting him just one or two fights away from a title shot and forcing a confrontation with Aspinall

This is not the first time, however, that a UFC champion reigned while their friend was a rising championship contender. Famously, the current bantamweight kingpin Merab Dvalishvili was situated towards the top of the division’s rankings while his friend, former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, was ruling the division. 

Before he can worry about Delija, Aspinall faces the dangerous and technically skilled Ciryl Gane this weekend at UFC 321. Gane, a former interim champion, has had two previous shots at the undisputed title and has promised a far different performance this time around. 

While Aspinall attempts to tune out the noise and focus on the challenge at hand, his comments have undoubtedly added a compelling layer of drama to his first title reign, creating an interesting storyline for the future of the heavyweight division. 

For now, the issue remains hypothetical, but if Ante Delija continues his winning ways, the UFC may have a significant predicament on its hands, forcing Aspinall to choose between the belt he worked so hard to earn and the principle he claims to believe in.