Tom Aspinall

Tom Aspinall's rise to the top of the UFC heavyweight division required both patience and persistence. After holding the interim UFC heavyweight championship, Aspinall was elevated to undisputed champion in June 2025 following the retirement of Jon Jones, who had long held the undisputed title. Jones's departure eliminated the need for a unification bout, ending a prolonged period of uncertainty at the top of the division and cementing Aspinall as the sole recognized heavyweight champion.

For Aspinall, the promotion carried significance beyond personal achievement. As a British fighter, his ascension to undisputed status marks a landmark moment for UK combat sports — the first time a fighter from Britain has held the undisputed UFC heavyweight title. The circumstances of his elevation, driven by a rival's retirement rather than a head-to-head unification, did little to undermine the legitimacy of his reign. Throughout his interim tenure, Aspinall had methodically dismantled elite competition in convincing fashion, establishing himself as the division's most dominant force.

A Controversial Finish in Abu Dhabi

Aspinall made his first defense of the undisputed heavyweight championship at UFC 321 on October 25, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, where he faced Ciryl Gane. The bout ended prematurely when an eye poke left Aspinall unable to continue, producing one of the most controversial finishes in recent heavyweight title history. The accidental foul denied both fighters — and the sport — a definitive conclusion, leaving the division's immediate future unresolved.

The outcome at UFC 321 sparked significant discussion about the risks inherent in high-stakes title defenses, where a single accidental foul can derail months of preparation and deny fans a clear resolution. For Aspinall, the fight underscored the volatile nature of heavyweight competition even when controlling the action on the feet and on the ground. Despite the unsatisfying ending, the event confirmed his standing as the division's recognized standard-bearer heading into the next chapter of his title reign.

Technical Study at the Highest Level

Aspinall's grappling has long defined his mixed martial arts game, setting him apart from most competitors at the heavyweight level, where credible submission threats remain rare. His investment in ground-based skills extends well beyond what MMA competition demands, and his willingness to train alongside elite submission specialists reflects a genuine commitment to technical development.

Footage released on The B-Team channel captured Aspinall working with Craig Jones on a specific D'Arce Choke variation — the version popularized by Islam Makhachev. Jones broke down the mechanical details of the Makhachev D'Arce Choke, walking through the positional requirements and finishing mechanics that make the variation effective at the highest levels of competition. The session offered a window into the technical sophistication Aspinall brings to his submission game, and his choice to study a variation associated with one of MMA's most accomplished grapplers speaks to the seriousness of his approach.

A Counterpoint to Jon Jones's Assessment

The training footage also provides direct context for public commentary made by Jon Jones, who stated in an interview that Aspinall's wrestling and jiu-jitsu were "incredibly overrated," while conceding that Aspinall was a strong athlete. Aspinall's documented training history with practitioners at Jones's caliber offers a clear counterpoint to that assessment — illustrating a ground game built on purposeful technical study rather than raw athleticism alone.

In August 2024, Aspinall participated in a friendly grappling round with Ugo Monye, a former England rugby international. The session brought together two athletes from distinct sporting disciplines, reflecting a broader trend of cross-sport grappling exchanges that have grown as a vehicle for introducing BJJ and wrestling concepts to wider audiences.

The roll with Monye demonstrated Aspinall's accessibility and willingness to engage athletes from outside the combat sports world — a quality that has expanded his visibility across different sporting communities. The informal setting allowed Aspinall to showcase his grappling acumen while reinforcing his identity as a technically grounded competitor whose success extends beyond striking and physical attributes. Sessions of this kind serve as an effective bridge between grappling culture and mainstream sport, and Aspinall's participation underscores his role as an ambassador for the ground game at the highest level of the sport.