Francis Ngannou’s coach, Eric Nicksick, has publicly stated that Tom Aspinall currently shows more promise than UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones. Despite this, an eagerlyanticipated match between Ngannou and Jones never eventuated under UFC’s umbrella. This was due to Ngannou’s exit following unsuccessful contract negotiations earlier this year. Despite Ngannou’s early exit, Jones emerged victorious and secured the vacant strap, defeating Ciryl Gane in a submission win at UFC 285 in March. His initial plans to defend his winning title against Stipe Miocic on November 11 at UFC 295 fell through.
Jones had to step down from the matchup due to physical injury. This created space for Aspinall to claim the interim title, scoring a first-round knockout over Sergei Pavlovich in a short-notice co-main event at UFC 295. Despite Aspinall’s triumphant win and title claim, he now finds himself in a complex situation as Jon Jones is projected to make a return the following year to face Miocic. This means that the winner between Jones and Miocic might be looking to challenge Aspinall in the future.
Nicksick has expressed a keen interest in Aspinall dating back to Ngannou’s time as heavyweight champion. During an Anik & Florian podcast, Nicksick stated, “I got all the receipts, boys, I’ve been telling everybody for a long time that Tom Aspinall was the guy.” While acknowledging that Jones’ legacy was undeniable, Nicksick expressed full confidence in Aspinall’s potential. However, he maintained that, at this current point in time, Jones still poses a more challenging opponent for Ngannou. “I think there’s a lot more that you’re gonna see from Aspinall as far as his growth and maturation goes,” Nicksick commented.