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UFC champ Tom Aspinall details ambitious plans for 2025

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 6:37 PM ET

Newly minted UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall isn't looking to waste any time this year.

The first-ever British heavyweight champion, Aspinall had his career on hold for the better part of a year while Jon Jones halted the division. With 'Bones' gone, Aspinall has ascended the throne, and he has grand plans.

While Father Aspinall thinks the UFC handled everything poorly, Tom is already laying out his designs for this year...

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Tom Aspinall plans to fight twice this year as the new UFC heavyweight champ

Speaking on Diary of a CEO, Aspinall explained that he'd like to fight twice this year.

"I'm gonna be hopefully fighting twice this year," Aspinall revealed. "I have wasted enough time now. We're looking to get a fight booked quick, and it's looking like it's gonna be pretty soon. I would like to fight at the end of the year as well."

The most likely candidate for Aspinall's first defense would be Ciryl Gane. While 'Bon Gamin'' hasn't been the most active heavyweight, with his last fight being a contentious decision against Alexander Volkov, he remains the most marketable option for Aspinall.

An England vs. France matchup would be an easy sell, and if the UFC didn't situate the event in one of their respective countries, it'd be a colossal blunder.

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Otherwise, top-ranked Jailton Almeida is calling for a shot with Aspinall. Almeida is terribly underrated as a heavyweight and promises an interesting stylistic matchup with Aspinall.

With that said, CEO Dana White has promised to make it up to Aspinall for his lost time, so options are open to the champ.

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

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