Tom Aspinall’s UFC Future in Doubt as Father Andy Aspinall Hints at Big Money Move

In another interview with Jon-Bernand Kairouz, Andy Aspinall once again emphasized the financial motivation behind wanting his son to transition to boxing.

He said, “If you get into the top percentage of that sport, the UFC don’t pay anywhere near as much as boxing does… and I know from being around Tom every day — when he spars good boxers, he spars good.”

Andy’s stance is understandable, given the massive financial gap between boxing and MMA. Fighters like Conor McGregor and Francis Ngannou have made life-changing money after crossing over to the boxing world. McGregor famously earned over $100 million from his 2017 bout with Floyd Mayweather. 

Ngannou, who made roughly $600,000 for his UFC title defense against Ciryl Gane, went on to pocket around $30 million from his fights with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. The allure of boxing isn’t limited to heavyweights. 

Current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has hinted at trying his hand in the ring once his MMA run ends, and Ilia Topuria recently called out Terence Crawford for a potential boxing match, clearly chasing a major payday.

The State of the Current 265lbs Division Is Not Very Competitive for Tom Aspinall

Adding to Andy’s reasoning is the current state of the heavyweight division. With Jon Jones sidelined and Aspinall already having beaten most of the top contenders like Alexander Volkov and Sergei Pavlovich, the pool of fresh, high-stakes matchups is limited. If Aspinall defeats Gane, who is already fighting for the title a third time, there may be few exciting challenges left for him in the UFC.

Beyond business, Andy’s motives are deeply personal. As both Tom’s father, head coach, and manager, he’s repeatedly said that his ultimate goal is to see his son leave combat sports healthy. Boxing, in his eyes, could offer bigger paychecks with fewer fights, helping achieve that goal.

Still, negotiations in the coming year could get very interesting. With the $7.7 billion Paramount deal boosting UFC’s financial reach starting in 2026, the promotion might have the means to compete with boxing purses. That is, if Tom Aspinall remains the heavyweight king after his next three fights.