UFC President Dana White is confident that no matter who walks away with the heavyweight title at UFC 309, the winner will eventually face interim champion Tom Aspinall in a title unification bout.
The highly anticipated clash between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic has been months in the making after a torn pectoral muscle delayed Jones’ planned fight with Miocic in November 2023. In Jones’ absence, Aspinall claimed the interim heavyweight title, but White and the UFC remained firm in their intention to have Jones and Miocic square off for the undisputed crown.
Though there has been speculation about the retirement plans of both Jones and Miocic following their November 16 showdown, White remains certain that the winner won’t walk away without facing Aspinall to settle the heavyweight title dispute.
“I truly believe that whoever wins this fight, just competitively, the way these guys are wired and the reasons they’re both legends in the sport, they’re not going to just ride off into the sunset without settling the dispute with Tom Aspinall,” White told TNT Sports.
Aspinall has long called for a fight with Jones, who captured the vacant heavyweight title in March 2023 with a dominant submission win over Ciryl Gane. However, Jones has remained focused on his long-awaited bout with Miocic, who holds the record for the most successful heavyweight title defenses in UFC history.
Despite the possibility of retirement looming for both fighters—Miocic has not committed to his future beyond UFC 309, and Jones has repeatedly hinted at stepping away from the sport—White believes both men hold enough respect for the sport to give Aspinall his shot at unifying the heavyweight titles before retiring.
“When you think about Jon Jones becoming the youngest champion in UFC history and all the things that Stipe accomplished, they were both given opportunities when they were young,” White explained. “I think they will reciprocate.”
Aspinall plans to be cageside for UFC 309 and will serve as the backup fighter for the event. However, it remains unclear whether Jones or Miocic would accept a fight with him on short notice should an injury occur during fight week.
White is optimistic about the potential for a future fight between Aspinall and either Jones or Miocic, noting that such a matchup would generate massive excitement for the UFC.
“People will lose their f*cking minds if either one of those fights happens,” White said. “Stipe or Jon Jones against Tom Aspinall.”
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