Tom Aspinall currently finds himself midway in a tug-of-war between Dana White and Eddie Hearn. The British promoter, who is now the Englishman’s manager, wanted to drop legal charges against Zuffa over the Conor Benn fiasco in exchange for the UFC releasing Aspinall from his contract. Hearn’s trade aimed at Dana White was met with a stark dismissal from Dana White, who, in return, asked the Brit to first release Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez from his promotion. Later, Hearn fueled the already burning fire by claiming that he would not let the UFC heavyweight champion fight in the UFC under his existing contract, citing the low pay offered to the champion.

Amid such an impasse between the two promotional rivals, Tom Aspinall’s future in the UFC hung in the balance with no clarity on when or if he would return to active competition. However, the Salford native has firmly stated that for the time being, his immediate future remains with the UFC.

“I’m hoping to fight this year,” Aspinall told The i Paper. “As soon as the doctor gives me the green light, I’ll be good to go. I’m back training, but I’ve still got a way to go yet. Maybe, at this stage, I feel like I still have more left to do in MMA. Maybe when I retire, but it’s not something I’m looking at right now, to be honest. I’m focused on the UFC and focused on defending my belt.”

Though there’s a whole world of speculation around Tom Aspinall doing great in boxing, which could very well be true, it’s natural that the Brit feels he belongs in the UFC. The Manchester-based fighter is one of the dominant forces in the UFC heavyweight division, and many felt he was the one to hand Jon Jones the first loss of his career. However, that perception took a slight hit against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321.

Before the Frenchman incapacitated Tom Aspinall with his double eye poke during their fight in Abu Dhabi last year, Gane actually put on a very challenging performance against the reigning champion, bloodying his nose in the first round. The fight ultimately turned into a no-contest, but Gane’s performance raised the belief that he could have beaten Aspinall that night. As a naturally competitive fighter, Aspinall might feel that he still has a lot to prove before saying goodbye to his UFC career.

For that reason, Aspinall made it clear last month in a social media video that he’s keeping himself healthy to face the winner of Pereira and Gane. Also, the UFC understands the value the 33-year-old fighter brings. Despite the ongoing dispute, Dana White said that Aspinall would have fought Pereira at the White House event if he were healthy.

Beyond that, Daniel Cormier firmly believes that the promotion and its heavyweight champion need to be on the “same page.” The former two-division champion claimed that Tom Aspinall is “one of the best heavyweights” right now. So, it’s in both the company’s and the fighter’s best interests to find common ground.

Now, with Tom Aspinall wanting to continue his future in the UFC, he’ll be looking forward to making a grand comeback. However, with his eye condition still unresolved, it might take more time until we see him back in action. In that case, one of his potential opponents has already plotted a move to keep the division rolling.

Alex Pereira doesn’t want to wait for Tom Aspinall  

At the UFC Freedom 250 co-main event, Alex Pereira will face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship. With the win, the Brazilian legend would become a three-division champion. However, there would still be some dispute surrounding his status, as Tom Aspinall remains the champion. As a result, ‘Poatan’ would likely receive a direct shot at the Manchester-based fighter if he wins his next fight.

However, Pereira doesn’t want to wait that long to fight Aspinall, and he presented two reasons. Firstly, he believes the heavyweight champion’s eye won’t heal quickly enough for him to return this year. Secondly, the former two-division champion thinks he only has a couple more years of fights left in him. So he’d rather not wait around.

“I don’t think that Tom is going to be ready,” Pereira said at UFC Freedom 250 media day.  I don’t think he’s even training. I think it’s about recovering from the surgery. I’m a guy that, I want to get ready, I want to fight somebody as soon as possible. I want another fight as soon as possible. Again, I’m 38 years old, I ain’t got time to lose.”

Alex Pereira didn’t reveal his preferred opponent. But as per the recent developments, Josh Hokit would be the right candidate considering their ongoing beef.

With growing anticipation surrounding Tom Aspinall’s return, it’s a positive sign for the UFC that he’s ready to come back. However, the ongoing dispute between White and Hearn still makes the upcoming contract negotiations a tricky prospect.