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The last time fans saw Tom Aspinall in action, he was knocking out Sergei Pavlovich to claim the interim UFC heavyweight title. Now, it seems like the big Brit has his next fight lined up. Aspinall has claimed he'll defend his title at an event this summer in Manchester, England, likely to be UFC 304. But who will he face?
Given full champion Jon Jones and former titleholder Stipe Miocic are still angling for their 'legacy fight,' it doesn't seem likely that one of them will fight the Liverpool native. However, there are still plenty of viable options.
Here are three possible opponents for Tom Aspinall at UFC 304.
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#3. Tom Aspinall vs. Alex Pereira
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It seems like a total left-field idea, but the concept of current light-heavyweight titleholder Alex Pereira looking to become a three-division champion this summer isn't outside the realm of possibility.
'Poatan' made the first defense of his 205-pound crown last weekend at UFC 300 when he viciously stopped former champ Jamahal Hill in the first round. After this fight, the Brazilian decided to ask the UFC for a late-notice heavyweight bout at UFC 301, which is set to take place on May 5 in Rio de Janeiro.
While that isn't likely to happen on such short notice, what was interesting was the response of Tom Aspinall on social media. Aspinall took to Instagram to post an image of him staring intently at Pereira from a distance, perhaps hinting at a possible bout between the two.
With both men possessing insane power in their hands, a fight between them would be seriously intriguing, even if Aspinall's ground game would make him a big favorite. Given his achievements thus far, though, seeing 'Poatan' become the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in three different weight classes wouldn't be so crazy.
It seems unlikely that the promotion would run with this one for UFC 304, primarily because Dana White has already dismissed the idea, stating that Pereira would be better off staying at 205 pounds.
In the UFC, though, nothing is truly impossible, and to see this fight in the future at some point wouldn't be such a huge shock.
#2. Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane
One of the most intriguing possible fights out there for Tom Aspinall would see him lock horns with No.2 ranked Ciryl Gane.
Gane, a former interim heavyweight titleholder in his own right, admittedly struggled during his two attempts to become undisputed champion.
Firstly, 'Bon Gamin' was outwrestled by Francis Ngannou in their five-round clash. He then disappointingly fell to Jon Jones in another attempt to claim the gold, being submitted in the first round.
Despite this, the Frenchman is still one of the most viable contenders in the division. He holds wins over Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and most recently dispatched Sergei Spivac with some serious violence.
Gane's precision striking and knockout power would definitely provide Aspinall with a stern test, although it's likely the Liverpudlian fighter would want to ground 'Bon Gamin' to prevent him from using his arsenal.
The only thing preventing this fight is the rumor perpetuated by Aspinall that Gane has earned a reputation behind the scenes for ducking fights. If this is the case, it's easy to imagine Dana White passing over him for this shot.
If that isn't the case, though, this would definitely be a viable headliner for UFC 304 and would stand as the toughest test of Aspinall's career to date.
#1. Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes
Of all of the fights potentially on the table for Tom Aspinall at UFC 304, a rematch with Curtis Blaydes probably makes the most sense. 'Razor' was responsible for the first loss of Aspinall's career when the two big men clashed in the summer of 2022. However, it wasn't a "real" loss per se as Aspinall blew his knee out after just 15 seconds, forcing the fight to be stopped.
Since then, of course, Aspinall has bounced back by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich to claim the interim heavyweight title in late 2024. Judging by recent interviews, he's still smarting over his loss to 'Razor' and is desperate to avenge it.
Blaydes, meanwhile, was derailed by Pavlovich in his first fight after his meeting with Aspinall. Since then, though, he's gotten firmly back on track by stopping the hype train of Jailton Almeida, handing him his first UFC loss last month.
'Razor' is not the most popular fighter with casual fans thanks to his wrestling-heavy style, but he does hit hard, and few could argue with his stellar record of 18-4 with nine KOs or TKOs in the UFC alone.
More to the point, assuming a rematch would go deeper than their first meeting, Blaydes could really test Tom Aspinall as the first fighter to be truly capable of taking him down and keeping him there. Whether 'Razor' could hold off the powerful striking of the Liverpudlian, though, would be debatable too - particularly as his chin has never appeared to be that strong.
Overall, this fight would pit two of the UFC's top heavyweights against one another, it'd allow them to settle an existing rivalry, and it would hopefully be exciting to watch too.
With all of that in mind, the promotion ought to book it and allow the fight to headline - or co-headline - UFC 304 this summer.
