Tom Aspinall is officially the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, after he was elevated from interim-title holder upon Jon Jones’s retirement on Saturday.
Jones won the vacant heavyweight belt in March 2023, submitting Ciryl Gane in round one, but his first title defence was derailed six months later, as an injury ruled him out of a fight with Stipe Miocic. With Jones vs Miocic delayed by a year, Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich stepped up in November 2023, fighting for the interim belt. Aspinall knocked out the Russian in round one, becoming Britain’s third UFC champion in the process.