Tom Aspinall will be fighting to preserve the reputation of the UFC’s heavyweight division the next time he steps into the Octagon, according to Matt Brown.
Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) was recently promoted to undisputed heavyweight champion following Jon Jones’ retirement. After chasing a title unification bout with “Bones” for nearly two years, Aspinall—who had held the interim belt since November 2023—is finally set to begin his reign when he faces Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 on October 25 in Abu Dhabi.
While a matchup between the Brit and Jones would likely have been a major draw for the UFC, former welterweight contender Matt Brown believes a fight against Gane doesn’t generate the same level of excitement. Without Jones, the heavyweight division appears to lack star power compared to previous generations, and Brown believes it’s imperative that Aspinall defeats “Bon Gamin” at UFC 321 if the division is to be taken seriously moving forward.
“The heavyweight division is on the line,” Brown said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “If Gane goes in and beats him — no disrespect to Gane, love the guy — the heavyweight division loses a lot of respect. Even if Tom goes out there, and it’s a close fight or he gets dropped and then has to come back or something like that, the heavyweight division has so little respect right now, probably deservedly so I think even with Gane getting his third title shot in a couple of years, Tom has to show he is the heavyweight division.
“He has to prove that to the world. The heavyweight division’s not just shit, but I’m so good that the heavyweight division is shit. This is the thing he has to go out there and prove to the world. If he goes out there and loses to Gane, the division already is not respected, that brings Tom down significantly I think.”
Jones spent most of the past two years dismissing any suggestion of facing Aspinall, claiming he didn’t view the Englishman as a worthy challenger. The two maintained a frosty relationship during that time, and Matt Brown believes Jones will be quick to say “I told you so” if Aspinall fails to impress at UFC 321.
“How (Aspinall) beats Gane, assuming he does, plays a factor, too,” Brown explained. “If it turns out to be a close fight, again Jon’s going to be on his phone with Twitter open watching this fight, just waiting for Tom to f*ck up and get dropped and get leg kicked and limping a little bit. Jon can’t wait for that moment.”
