For some, God’s plan might rule the world, but for everyone in MMA, it’s all about Dana White’s plan. Over the years, Dana White has cemented himself as the biggest strategist in the fight game. He orchestrates every major move, down to the smallest detail. Known for his business instincts and bold decisions, Dana has elevated the UFC to the top of the MMA world, taking it to heights no one thought possible. But he didn’t do it by playing by the book.

Dana White doesn’t care for tradition or regulation. He thrives on breaking the mold, and that mindset has redefined how fights are made. It even prompted Team Khabib’s coach, Javier Mendez, to speak out, saying: “It’s not a true sport… it’s entertainment first.” That quote perfectly captures the essence of Dana White’s plan—a matchmaking philosophy driven more by box office appeal than by rankings or merit. And when it comes to a megafight like Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall, the level of planning involved takes things to another level.

Despite Tom Aspinall holding the interim title for over 500 days and being ready for a unification bout, the fight remains in limbo. While the Brit appears ready, critics accuse Jon Jones of avoiding the fight with the Brit. Yet, ‘Bones’ remains unbothered by the criticism, focused instead on his own side ventures. Currently, he’s in Thailand, coaching against Nate Diaz in the Russian version of The Ultimate Fighter—a move that’s left fans questioning his priorities.

Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall has been in back-to-back high-level meetings with the UFC brass in both London and New York. The Englishman kept these talks secret until he recently revealed them. Speaking with High Performance, he shared his surprise about how different this process feels:

“Well, this is what I don’t understand, to be honest. They actually said to me that we’re going to discuss the plan tonight and they’re going to give me the full breakdown. And for me personally, I’ve now had 10 UFC fights, and I’ve had however many other fights in my career outside the UFC. I’ve never been given a plan before. It’s just like, ‘This is the date, let me know the location and I’ll show up.’ So this is really rare for me. I don’t know what to expect. I’m really interested, actually, to see, like: what is this plan?”

While the UFC seems to be putting together a plan behind closed doors, Jon Jones has reportedly stepped away from his fight camp once again. According to multiple reports, the heavyweight champion has now requested an additional six months to prepare for his showdown with Tom Aspinall. This delay strongly suggests that the long-awaited unification bout may not happen until the fall.

In the meantime, Tom Aspinall quietly etched his name into the record books. Earlier this month, he surpassed former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao’s long-standing record of holding an interim title for 534 days—a milestone that made Barao a star over a decade ago. But even after overtaking that record,  the interim champ isn’t celebrating. In fact, he’s been vocal about his frustration with the limbo he’s stuck in.

Tom Aspinall reflects on the frustration of holding the interim title for a record-long reign

Since late 2023, Tom Aspinall has held the UFC interim heavyweight title after a dominant victory over Sergei Pavlovich—a win that ignited his dream of becoming the first British UFC heavyweight champion. But that dream has been put on hold, as the UFC brass, including Dana White, appear to have other plans. His long-awaited unification clash with Jon Jones remains bogged down in stalled negotiations.

Jon Jones hasn’t returned to the Octagon since his last appearance in November, and although Tom Aspinall managed to defend his belt once, he’s spent the better part of the past year sidelined, left waiting for his shot at undisputed gold. The situation has become increasingly frustrating for the Brit, who now holds an unwanted record: the longest reign as an interim champion in UFC history.

And he’s not proud of it. When MMA icon Demetrious Johnson brought it up, Tom Aspinall didn’t mince words. Speaking candidly on his YouTube channel, he said, “Yeah, this is bulls–t. That is not something that I wanted. No, it’s not something that I’m proud of, to be honest. The interim title is nice, but the longest-reigning one… I obviously wanted to contend for the undisputed title, in the time that I’ve been interim. So, it’s coming. It’s coming. It’s coming.”

With so much unfolding in the UFC right now, one question looms—will Jon Jones ever agree to face Tom Aspinall? Will the greatest of all time risk his legacy and flawless record against a young, hungry, and dangerous contender like the Brit? What do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.