Tom Aspinall confirmed as backup fighter, says Dana White

LAS VEGAS – The UFC 309 fundamental event backup fighter doesn’t come as a surprise.

Interim champion Tom Aspinall might be the primary phone call made should the heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones or challenger Stipe Miocic need a substitute, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Tuesday.

“Yes, Tom Aspinall is next in line for anything that happens after this fight,” White said after Dana White’s Contender Series 72 on the UFC Apex.

UFC 309 takes place Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in Latest York. Should the whole lot go in line with plan and Aspinall not be need, the fundamental event will mark the top of an ongoing logjam at the highest of the promotion’s heavyweight division.

For over a yr, the promotion has remained dead set on Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) vs. Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) as the subsequent heavyweight title fight. It was initially scheduled for UFC 295 in November 2023, but an injury to Jones pushed the fight back 12 months.

In that fight’s absence, Aspinall defeated Serghei Pavlovich for an interim title. He then defended it against Curtis Blaydes in July. Each fights he ended contained in the opening minutes.

Although Jones has called Miocic his final fight (as recently as Saturday), White has continually voiced his hunch Jones’ fighting profession will extend beyond that. White said he hasn’t spoken to Jones about fights beyond the one currently on the books.

“Why speak to him after this (past weekend’s) event?” White said. “You’ve got to determine what’s going to occur on this fight, see how this fight plays out, after which we’ll go from there.”