“Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC. “That’s how UFC boss Dana White announced the end of the excruciatingly long-drawn-out saga in the promotion’s heavyweight division. There was no roaring crowd. No dramatic belt-wrapping ceremony, just White’s abrupt announcement at UFC Baku, and with that, Tom Aspinall became the undisputed champion.

By the time Jon Jones officially retired, Aspinall had already held the interim title for well over 550 days, longer than anyone in UFC history. So when Brett Okamoto asked him if he felt “denied” the moment of being crowned the true champ, in a recent interview, the British champion didn’t sugarcoat his feelings.

In his now-trademark, no-frills manner, he confessed, “You know what… I would have liked to fight for it, the other stuff it’s not really important to me. Like in a year’s time or whatever, people are just going to forget and I’m just going to be known as a champion anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.”

Aspinall’s rise to the top was anything but typical. He knocked out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 to win interim gold. He dominated Curtis Blaydes to defend it at UFC 304. And then came the long and agonizing wait as Jon Jones did everything but confirm a title unification bout against him.

As such, he continued by sharing in the interview, “But like I’ve said it a million times, but I just like fighting people. That’s what I really enjoy above everything, titles, money, fame, all the rest of it, I just like the actual act of training for a fight. The build-up to it. Fighting people. Putting your skills to the test… I’m just relieved that it’s over and we can move forward.”

There was no bitterness in his voice, just relief and hope for finally beginning his reign atop the heavyweight crown without any asterisks next to his name. And move forward, he will.

In an Instagram post shared by Championship Rounds, the British powerhouse revealed he’s already got his next target locked in. What is it? The post indicated that, “Meetings have been done and I now have a fight… We’ve got a date, we’ve got an opponent to work towards.”

While the exact details haven’t been made public at the time of writing, one thing’s certain: Tom Aspinall’s era is officially underway. After months of being stuck in limbo, he finally has what he earned the hard way. Now, the fighting can begin again, on his terms and his goals for his title reign? They are staggering!

Tom Aspinall sets his crosshairs on UFC heavyweight Top 10 with a plan to “beat all ten”

Now that the belt officially belongs to him, Tom Aspinall isn’t planning to sit still. He’s not here to play it safe. He’s here to make history. In a recent interview shared by Red Corner MMA on X, the British heavyweight star laid out a bold mission for his first year as undisputed champ. According to Aspinall, “‘I’d like to do 4 [fights] in the next 12 months. If you look at the top ten, I have beaten 6 of them. My goal is to beat ten of the top ten. I wanna beat all ten.”

Let’s think about that for a second. Aspinall doesn’t want to just defend his belt; he wants to wipe out the entire division! But for someone who’s already dismantled six of the best heavyweights on the roster, it doesn’t feel impossible. In fact, the road ahead is already starting to form.

Rumors point to Ciryl Gane as the likely next opponent, as he’s currently ranked No. 1 in the division. The Frenchman’s footwork, speed, and precision have made him a tricky matchup for anyone.

Then there’s Jailton Almeida, the relentless grappler ranked No. 5, who has already made his intentions clear with a post on X where he wrote, “Congrats champ. You deserve that. Now, lets make the only fight who make sense! Aspinall vs Almeida for undisputed HW title of the world. Gane ducks you and me before, already fought for the belt and lost 2-times, and his last win was a robbery.”

But, don’t count out the veterans either. Derrick Lewis is still swinging heavy leather at No. 9, and fan-favorite Tai Tuivasa is sitting at No. 10 and is always game for a brawl. Each fight offers a unique challenge. But Aspinall seems eager to tackle them all.

If he follows through, this run could be one of the most dominant in UFC heavyweight history. So, Tom Aspinall might not have gotten his moment under the spotlight when he became the undisputed champion. But now that he’s wearing the crown, he’s gearing up to remind the MMA Sphere that he’s ready to defend his throne against every single top 10 heavyweight who dares to challenge him!