Tom Aspinall confirmed as backup fighter, says Dana White

LAS VEGAS – The UFC 309 predominant occasion backup fighter doesn’t come as a shock.

Interim champion Tom Aspinall would be the first telephone name made ought to the heavyweight title struggle between champion Jon Jones or challenger Stipe Miocic want a alternative, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Tuesday.

“Sure, Tom Aspinall is subsequent in line for something that occurs after this struggle,” White mentioned after Dana White’s Contender Sequence 72 on the UFC Apex.

UFC 309 takes place Nov. 16 at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York. Ought to every thing go based on plan and Aspinall not be want, the principle occasion will mark the top of an ongoing logjam on the high of the promotion’s heavyweight division.

For over a yr, the promotion has remained useless set on Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) vs. Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) as the subsequent heavyweight title struggle. It was initially scheduled for UFC 295 in November 2023, however an harm to Jones pushed the struggle again 12 months.

In that struggle’s absence, Aspinall defeated Serghei Pavlovich for an interim title. He then defended it towards Curtis Blaydes in July. Each fights he ended contained in the opening minutes.

Though Jones has known as Miocic his closing struggle (as just lately as Saturday), White has frequently voiced his hunch Jones’ preventing profession will lengthen past that. White mentioned he hasn’t spoken to Jones about fights past the one at present on the books.

“Why converse to him after this (previous weekend’s) occasion?” White mentioned. “You’ve received to determine what’s going to occur on this struggle, see how this struggle performs out, after which we’ll go from there.”