Since capturing the UFC interim heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 in November 2023, Tom Aspinall has stepped into the Octagon only once. In July 2024, he successfully defended his belt against Curtis Blaydes, avenging the TKO loss he suffered in 2022. With Jon Jones vacating the heavyweight throne, the undisputed title officially found its new home around the waist of ‘The Honey Badger.’ 

Now, the British heavyweight sensation is already gearing up for his first title defense—a highly anticipated showdown with No. 1-ranked contender Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 on Saturday, October 25, 2025. The event will take place at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Ahead of the clash, the 32-year-old recently wrapped up his final sparring session, with his father/coach Andy Aspinall in attendance. 

Tom Aspinall is not afraid to show his mistakes

Roughly half a day ago, the UFC heavyweight champion shared footage of his final sparring session on his YouTube channel. Addressing warnings from his viewers about showing his sparring footage, Tom Aspinall confidently stated, “We show you what we want to show you. We put out what people want to see and what we want people to see.” 

He made it clear that he wasn’t insecure about revealing his flaws, adding, “If there are mistakes in the sparring… It’s cuz we want you to see them.” Later in the video, explaining the structure of the session, Aspinall’s father and coach revealed that his son would spar for five rounds with three different partners. Who? Ante Delija, Martin Buday, and Modestas Bukauskas.

Once the session concluded, the cameraman approached Andy and asked if he was satisfied with the final workout before the big fight. Andy’s response was brief but telling, “Yeah. Good. What can you do if it’s not?”

They may be playing it cool, but the significance of this fight for the Aspinall camp is far too big. If Aspinall wins, he might be one half of the headliner at the UFC White House PPV next June. He could face either Alex Pereira or Jon Jones, unless the UFC pits them against each other. Surely, Andy Aspinall knows the stakes.

His approval carries significant weight—not only because he’s Tom’s father, but also his coach. A self-taught jiu-jitsu black belt, Andy Aspinall has been instrumental in shaping his son’s championship-caliber skills.

Tom Aspinall reveals the shocking story behind how his father got his black belt

A couple of days ago, Aspinall appeared in the ShxtsnGigs Podcast, where he opened up about his father’s incredible journey to earning a black belt in jiu-jitsu. Speaking about the early days of the sport in the UK, Aspinall explained, “We’re in Hackney right now. You can walk down the street and find a jiu-jitsu place easily. You Google jiu-jitsu Hackney, five places will probably come up.”

But in the early 1990s, things were very different. “A Brazilian guy would come over and do a seminar once a year, and that was your access to jiu-jitsu in them days,” he said. His father, already involved in other combat sports, would travel across the country “to Birmingham, London, Glasgow, wherever it may be” attending those rare seminars, then spending months practicing with friends and refining techniques.

Aspinall added that his father even received his belts from those seminars, concluding, “Different times… It’s hard for people to relate now.”

Having said that, it appears Andy Aspinall is satisfied with the work his son has put in. However, only time will tell whether it’s enough for his first title defense. What did you think of the final sparring session?