Tom Aspinall Reveals How He Found Out He Was Named UFC Heavyweight Champion in Video

Tom Aspinall gave a detailed play-by-play of the moment he found out he had been named the new UFC heavyweight champion after Jon Jones announced his retirement.

It all started after a dinner out with his wife and some friends, with the couple getting home around 10 p.m. Aspinall took a shower and got ready for bed — then his phone suddenly started blowing up.

"My phone started ringing. It was my media guy, Charlie. I thought, ‘Why is Charlie calling me at midnight? What’s going on?'" Aspinall said. "I answered and said, ‘What’s up?’ — you don't really greet someone in the U.K by saying what's up; What's up is more of a question like, is earthing OK?"

"He told me, ‘Dana just announced that you’re the champion.’ I was like, ‘What? No way.’ We talked for a bit, and after I hung up, Hunter Campbell called me right away," Aspinall continued. "As soon as he called, I could hear Dana’s press conference going on in the background."

"At first, I thought Hunter had accidentally pocket-dialed me because it was so loud, like he was in the same room as Dana, Aspinall said. "He said, ‘Look, we just announced you’re the champion. Congratulations. We’ll talk more next week.’”

Following Jones’ unexpected retirement on June 21 and Aspinall’s promotion to undisputed champion, the 32-year-old had nothing but praise for the newly retired legend.

“I think he’s had an amazing career, and I think he should enjoy the rest of his life,” Aspinall said on The Diary of a CEO podcast. “If he truly feels like he’s done enough—which he keeps saying that he does—he will be at peace. He doesn’t need me or anyone else to tell him how good he’s done. He’ll know it himself. I hope that he’s enjoying his life, he’s enjoying his family, and that he’s celebrating his career, because it’s been amazing.”