Tom Aspinall Has the Heavyweight Crown—Three Challengers Eye His First Defense originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Tom Aspinall was officially recognized as the UFC heavyweight champion in the post-fight press conference at UFC Baku. The announcement, delivered directly by White, stripped away all uncertainty: the interim tag is gone. The Brit didn’t waste time acknowledging the moment. In a quick Instagram post, Aspinall made it clear he’s ready to go: ‘For you fans. It’s time to get this Heavyweight division going. An active Undisputed Champion’.
With the belt now solely in his possession, the next question is obvious: Who’s next? Three names are leading the conversation. First, Ciryl Gane, the current No. 2 ranked contender, has quietly rebuilt his stock since his 2023 loss to Jon Jones at UFC 285.
Now riding a two-fight win streak—his latest a razor-close split decision over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310—Gane’s slick striking and calm demeanor would make for a stylistic chess match with Aspinall.
🚨 TOM ASPINALL IS THE OFFICIAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP@DanaWhite has announced that Jon Jones has RETIRED, thus elevating @AspinallMMA to become the heavyweight champ 🏆 pic.twitter.com/oJ8a9nl8KT
— UFC (@ufc) June 21, 2025
Volkov, meanwhile, isn’t going away. Ranked No. 3 and still dangerous, the Russian veteran could be in for a rematch of their 2022 bout, which ended in a round one armbar loss to Aspinall. This time around, Volkov’s looked more disciplined, more patient, and far more strategic. It’s not the sexiest matchup on paper—but it’s a meaningful one.
Then there’s Jailton Almeida. The surging Brazilian grappler is coming off a first-round finish over Serghei Spivac at UFC 311 and has become one of the most dangerous ground specialists in the division. With his pressure-heavy ground game and ability to shut down striking-based opponents, a smothering threat that could erase the space Aspinall thrives in.
Don’t count out Sergei Pavlovich either. Though currently booked for a clash with Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC Shanghai in August, Pavlovich remains one of the most feared punchers in the division. He’s already shared the cage with Aspinall once—suffering a first-round KO loss at UFC 295—but his reputation for early violence keeps him on the radar. A couple of emphatic wins could vault him back into contention.
A true wild card? Curtis Blaydes. He owns the only loss on Aspinall’s resume, a 2022 first-round TKO that ended with Aspinall blowing out his knee seconds into the fight. But at UFC 304, the tables turned—Aspinall stopped Blaydes with a vicious KO to even the score.
With the series tied 1–1, a rubber match makes sense. The only wrinkle: Blaydes just fought at UFC Baku and walked away with a hard-fought split decision win. Depending on how much damage he took, he may not be available anytime soon.
With Jon Jones officially out and Aspinall now firmly in command, the UFC’s heavyweight division finally has what it’s been missing: an active, dangerous champion with fresh matchups ahead. It’s a new era—and the clock on his first defense has already started ticking.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
