Tom Aspinall 'optimistic' about Jon Jones negotiations after recent meeting

The UFC has two heavyweight champions and both fought in the second half of 2024, however not against one another in a unification bout.

Reigning heavyweight champion Jon Jones, along with Dana White and UFC brass, was steadfast in wanting to defend his belt against 42-year-old former champion Stipe Miocic — despite the fact Miocic was coming off a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou in 2021 and had one foot in retirement for several years leading up to what ended up being his final pro bout before hanging up his gloves — instead of taking on the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall.

Jones did successfully defend his title at UFC 309, and late last year White described a Jones vs. Aspinall matchup as “probably the biggest fight in heavyweight history and it’s a massive fight in the history of the company too.”

Aspinall has held the interim title for more than 500 days at this point and is coming off a defence of it last summer, when he avenged a previous loss to Curtis Blaydes (due to a fluke injury he sustained early in the fight). Aspinall won the rematch with a 60-second technical knockout at UFC 304 in front of the home fans in Manchester, England.

The UFC returned Aspinall’s home country this past weekend with a Fight Night event in London.

Aspinall attended the event and during the broadcast was shown posing with a rubber duck — a nod to the notion that Jones has been ducking the reigning interim titleholder.

The interim champ also met with the UFC’s chief business officer, Hunter Campbell, over the weekend to discuss where negotiations with Jones stand.

“We had a fantastic meeting,” Aspinall explained during a Monday appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. “Everything went amazing. I understand my position now. I understand what the company’s doing now, and you’ve got to stay tuned because there’s some big news coming.”

Jones is the No. 2-ranked fighter on the UFC's pound-for-pound list and turns 38 in July; Aspinall is the No. 10-ranked P4P talent and will be 32 in April.

Aspinall served as the official backup fighter for the UFC 309 main event and was present in New York throughout Jones’s most recent fight week. He ultimately wasn’t needed and Jones outclassed Miocic in the cage at Madison Square Garden four months ago.

“After the meeting, I'm feeling very optimistic about things,” Aspinall added. “I'm in a really, really, really good spot with everything and my future moving forward. It’s exciting times.

“And the break, it’s not a massive break, to be honest. People are saying, 'Jon Jones is holding up your career,' and stuff, but it's only been seven months, it's not too bad. I don't wanna say too much, but exciting stuff in the future.”