Tom Aspinall has been impatiently waiting for a UFC fight date since July 2024.
Just 60 seconds was all of the interim heavyweight champion needed to KO Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, which took place in Manchester, England, last summer.
A fight with Dana White‘s other heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, has been in talks since he stopped Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November.
Protracted negotiations mean Tom Aspinall is extremely more likely to spend greater than a yr on the sidelines through the peak of his profession, which could be a disaster for many high-level athletes.
Tom Aspinall reveals health battle
On Sunday, Aspinall and his dad raged about not getting paid on account of the Jones UFC fight delay.
In the identical video, England’s great heavyweight hope admitted his lengthy layoff could also be a blessing in disguise because he has been battling illness for nearly all of 2025.
“As skilled athletes or fighters, we don’t prefer to speak about stuff that’s holding us back,” Aspinall said.
“Injuries, illnesses, all that form of stuff. But this yr, I’ve actually been ailing more times than I ever have in my life, and we’re in April. I got a virus before Christmas, and mainly, I’ve had it on and off since.
“I’ve probably not rested enough. You may probably hear in my voice I’m still a bit nasally, but I’m right on the very end of it now, finally. I’ve had a few courses of antibiotics.
“It has made me look in-depth medically with what’s occurring because I keep picking up viruses. Often, I’ll get ailing annually, if that, with a head cold or whatever. But I’ve been really ailing, bed-bound a few times. I’ve had ringworm quite a number of times and other minor skin infections.
“Looking back, it’s probably a superb job I haven’t been energetic because I haven’t been performing at 100% for some time. We finally have some ends in on why that’s.”
Dana White ‘super confident’ about Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall
White watched from the front row as Ian Garry beat Carlos Prates within the UFC Kansas City predominant event on Saturday night.
Post-fight, he fielded questions from assembled media, who wanted an update on Jones vs Aspinall.
“All the pieces you hear is bulls— until we are saying it,” White insisted.
“I’ve said it persistently, that’s the fight we need to make this yr.
“Still super confident [it happens].”
