Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall recently made waves in the MMA world after securing the interim title by swiftly knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in just 69 seconds at UFC 295 held in New York.
During a visit to the talkSPORT studio, Aspinall showcased his formidable punching prowess by obliterating the punch machine with an astounding score of 942. This remarkable feat surpassed the score set by heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua in April 2022, who recorded a score of 887.
Following this impressive display, Aspinall wasted no time in setting his sights on a colossal showdown with UFC legend Jon Jones. With a staggering record of 27 wins and one defeat, Jones is unanimously hailed as one of the greatest heavyweights in history.
Despite Jones’s recent victory over Ciryl Gane in March, Aspinall eagerly expressed his desire to compete against him before the latter retires.
Aspinall stated: “I, obviously, want to unify the belts. I want to be the undisputed champion, but also, I want the guy everyone is calling the greatest of all time [Jones]. I want his name on my resume, and I want to be in the win column before he retires.”
After that, Aspinall was questioned about if he would be willing to transition into boxing, much as former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Aspinall responded by emphasizing his unwavering commitment to his UFC career.
While acknowledging an interest in exploring boxing before retiring, he underscored his primary focus on dominating the octagon.
Aspinall went on to say: “I’ve got loads of work to do in the UFC before I even start thinking about that. On the other hand, it is definitely something I want to do before I retire. Right now, I want to go and unify the division and beat all of the contenders before I even start thinking about that kind of stuff.”