Tom Aspinall ready for next challenge after Dana White snubs Jon Jones

Tom Aspinall is ready to defend his UFC heavyweight title, even as confusion continues around Jon Jones’ future.

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After months of uncertainty, UFC President Dana White recently said he does not trust Jon Jones to return in time for the planned White House mega event next year.

This puts Aspinall’s place on that card in doubt, but the British champion is not waiting around.

Just weeks ago, Dana White had announced that Jon Jones had retired, which led to Tom Aspinall being recognised as the undisputed heavyweight champion.

But the situation changed again when Jones re-entered the UFC’s drug testing pool, showing his interest in returning to the Octagon.

Despite Jones’ move, Dana White now appears to have lost confidence in him.

Following UFC 318, White shared that he is unlikely to include Jones on the major event due to trust issues, which casts fresh doubt over a long-awaited fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

Tom Aspinall, however, has made it clear that he will no longer wait. He has now confirmed that his first official title defence is in the works.

While his next opponent has not been named, Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov are the most likely contenders, with the current heavyweight roster looking quite thin.

Francis Ngannou’s name has also returned to the conversation. After Jones’ supposed retirement, Ngannou contacted Dana White to express his interest in rejoining the UFC.

Although Ngannou has been away from the UFC since moving to the PFL in 2023, his return remains a possibility. White has not completely ruled it out, even though their working relationship has been difficult in the past.

Tom Aspinall recently said he is open to fighting anyone and would be happy to face Ngannou if that fight becomes available.

For now, though, no official plans have been announced for Ngannou’s return, and he has not fought in MMA since joining the PFL.

There were talks of Ngannou facing Rico Verhoeven, a top kickboxer and Aspinall’s teammate, in a mixed rules bout, but that fight now seems unlikely.

As the UFC heavyweight picture remains uncertain, Tom Aspinall stays ready.

With Jon Jones not trusted by Dana White and Francis Ngannou still on the sidelines, all eyes are on who will step up next to face the British champion, Tom Aspinall in his first undisputed title defence.