Will Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane headline UFC 317 card? Din Thomas believes so and explains why

Din Thomas recently voiced his belief in UFC scheduling a matchup between Tom Aspinall against former title contender Ciryl Gane for the main event of UFC 317. Thomas claimed that Aspinall, who hasn't competed since July of last year, would be keen to return to the octagon.

Despite UFC CEO Dana White's positive remarks about the possibility of a Jon Jones vs. Aspinall title unification bout, the promotion has yet to issue an official statement. As a result, the interim heavyweight champion's father Andy Aspinall, has expressed his frustration with the delay in the fight announcement.

The UFC 317 PPV card has yet to be announced, and while many expected Jones to unify his title, Thomas thinks it won't happen as the reigning heavyweight champion's previous request of 6 months of training. In a recent episode on The Bohnfire podcast, the UFC analyst spoke to Mike Bohn and endorsed Aspinall to headline UFC 317 in a interim heavyweight title defense against Gane, saying:

''If I had to put my money on it, I think they convince Tom Aspinall to fight Ciryl Gane. We're two months out (from UFC 317), and I think they'll throw a number. Tom wants to fight and he'll be like, 'All right, I'll fight.' Then they'll throw a number at Ciryl Gane. It won't be ideal for him, but they'll throw a number he can't refuse and he'll have to take it, and I think it makes more sense that way.''

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Thomas added:

''Jon is a chess player. He's trying to collect as much information on Tom Aspinall as possible. We haven't really seen him in a lot of tough spots, we don't know how he's going to respond to that. I think Jon is probably waiting on that."

Check out Din Thomas' comments below (via Red Corner MMA's X post):

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Dana White is optimistic about the possible Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight

The entire MMA community is anticipating a title unification bout between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, however, there has been no official announcement yet, sparking mixed reactions from many.

During the UFC Kansas City post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about his stance on the potential Jones vs. Aspinall fight. In response, the UFC CEO expressed his confidence, saying:

''Everything you hear is bullsh*t until we say it. I've said since Day 1 that this would be the biggest heavyweight fight in the history of the company and the history of the sport. This will be a big one."

Check out Dana White's comments below (10:52):

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena