3 Opponents For Tom Aspinall's Next UFC Fight If It Isn't Jon Jones

Perhaps it's time we all accept it: Jon Jones isn't going to fight Tom Aspinall. At least, not any time soon.

Jones vs. Aspinall, possibly the biggest fight possible in MMA today, has been the obvious match to make in the UFC heavyweight division since November 2023, when the British star won the interim belt with a quick knockout of Sergei Pavlovich.

Winning the interim belt should have guaranteed Aspinall a shot at MMA legend Jones, who holds the "undisputed" heavyweight title. Instead, the UFC pushed ahead with a plan to match Jones up with former champion Stipe Miocic.

As expected, Jones battered the 42-year-old to a third-round TKO in a fight where he experienced basically no adversity. That should have cleared the way for a title-unifying showdown with Aspinall—the fight that should have been made all along—but it seems less likely that it will happen by the day.

Jones, it seems, is content to sit on the sidelines—even if he won't commit to retirement. Whether the UFC decides to strip him of his title and promote Aspinall to undisputed champion remains to be seen.

One way or the other, it's now quite clear Aspinall will have to fight somebody else next—unless he wants to continue wasting his career waiting for an opponent who is clearly not interested.

If that's the way things go, here are the three most likely candidates for Aspinall's next title defense.

Ciryl Gane

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Ciryl Gane, a clever striker with uncharacteristic athleticism for a man his size, is the top-ranked UFC heavyweight not named Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall. That's thanks to recent wins over two top-10 fighters in Sergei Spivac and Alexander Volkov.

The win over Volkov was a dubious judges' decision, and he's still only two wins removed from a quick submission loss to Jones in a fight for the vacant heavyweight belt, but he's as credible as any other fighter in the division right now.

Gane, 35, would make an interesting stylistic challenge for Aspinall. Sure, we know he's no match for Jones, but Aspinall is a very different fighter than Jones. The interim champ has proved he can grapple, but he does his best work on the feet, as he has showed in recent KO wins over Curtis Blaydes, Sergei Pavlovich and Marcin Tybura.

It would probably be in his best interest to take Gane down, but he might still choose to stand with Frenchman, and it would be a fascinating style clash in that case, as Gane is probably the more technical striker while Aspinall has a clear edge in power and speed.

It would fall short of Aspinall vs. Jones in terms of hype and historical importance, but it would be a good contest, and a perfect headliner for any card in the UK or France.

Alexander Volkov

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As noted, Alexander Volkov is riding a decision loss to Ciryl Gane. However, that decision was among the most hotly debated in recent memory, with many fans—perhaps the majority—scoring the fight in Volkov's favour.

Still, it's a loss all the same, which would ordinarily rule him out of title contention. The fact that he also suffered a first-round submission loss to Aspinall just a few years ago weakens his argument all the more.

However, the Russian could still get a title shot against Aspinall based on one simple factor: The division is very low on contenders at the moment.

It's a bit strange that the division that could host the biggest fight in MMA right now is also so devoid of compelling contenders, but that's the reality. And if Jones isn't fighting and Gane is unavailable, Volkov could get the call.

The 36-year-old was riding four straight wins over high-level heavyweights before his debatable loss to the Frenchman, and he is one of the most experienced fighters in the division, with 49 pro bouts behind him.

Considering how much he seemed to have levelled up in his recent fight with Gane, it would not be a travesty to give him the next crack at Aspinall if nobody ranked ahead of him is available.

Jailton Almeida

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Unlike Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov, who are ranked No. 2 and 3 in the heavyweight division right now, Brazil's Jailton Almeida is not a member of the top five. However, he may be a more credible challenger than either of them.

Like Gane, the sixth-ranked contender is riding two straight wins over respectable opponents in Alexandr Romanov and Sergei Spivac. Unlike Gane, neither of those wins were debatable decisions. In fact, both were first-round submissions. He has also yet to fight for a UFC title, whereas Gane has done so three times, and came up short in his last two attempts. Almeida has an even more significant leg up on Volkov, having never fought Aspinall before.

The Brazilian would also make an interesting stylistic challenge for Aspinall. As we've covered, the Brit is a very good grappler, but Almeida is on another level. He is easily the best jiu-jitsu specialist in the heavyweight division right now, with 13 of his 22 wins coming by submission.

He has the skills to submit the interim champion if the fight hits the mat, and with nine wins by knockout or TKO, he has some stopping power too.

Again, it pales in comparison to Jones vs. Aspinall, but it's a solid fight that would keep both men busy. Almeida, for his part, is so eager to fight again that he recently offered to make a grueling cut to light heavyweight if it gets him booked sooner.