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Israel Adesanya sends strong message to Tom Aspinall about next fight

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Israel Adesanya believes Tom Aspinall is in the same boat he was when he won undisputed UFC gold.

Aspinall is the newly crowned undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, after Jon Jones stepped away from the sport. While it's certainly an accomplishment, it's also testament to Aspinall's patience.

The British champion was the longest reigning interim champion in promotional history, and had to defend his belt along the way. Adesanya believes this means more than just a non-title fight.

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Israel Adesanya gives firm stance on Tom Aspinall's UFC 304 interim title defense

Aspinall was in attendance at UFC 317, where Ilia Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title. Sitting behind him was former middleweight king Adesanya, who had some sage advice for the new champion.

"The interim title means something," Adesanya told Aspinall on his YouTube channel. "If Rob [Whittaker] had beat me it would have been a title defense for him. When you beat and defend your belt, it is a defense, never let them take that away from you."

Given Aspinall's long road to the title, it's not hard to imagine fans putting an asterisk next to his title defense legacy, counting his Curtis Blaydes knockout in 2024. Despite the wait, Aspinall, 32, is still relatively young for a heavyweight.

The UFC heavyweight title defense record is only three victories, held by Stipe Miocic. Aspinall could tie this record in a year's time given the right activity, and surpass it if we're counting the Blaydes win.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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