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Tom Aspinall made a statement in the UFC heavyweight division with a stunning first-round knockout of Marcin Tybura in the main event of UFC London. The British fighter bounced back from his injury setback and put himself in the mix for a title shot with his dominant performance. He also wasted no time in calling out the champion, Jon Jones, who had a brief reply for him.
Aspinall (13-3 MMA) had not fought since July 2022, when he suffered a knee injury and a loss to Curtis Blaydes. That snapped his eight-fight winning streak, which included five finishes in the UFC. He was eager to prove himself against Tybura (24-8 MMA), who was riding a two-fight winning streak and ranked No. 7 in the division.
The fight did not last long, as Aspinall landed a crisp right hand that dropped Tybura early in the first round. He followed up with some vicious ground and pound that forced the referee to stop the fight at 1:13 of the opening frame. It was Aspinall’s sixth knockout win in the UFC and his ninth overall.
In his post-fight interview, Aspinall laid out his plans for his next move. He said he would go to Paris to watch the upcoming fight between Cyril Gane and Serghei Spivak, who are set to fight for the interim heavyweight title. He said he would beat the winner of that fight and then challenge Jones for the undisputed belt.
Jones (28-1 MMA) is the current UFC heavyweight champion, having moved up from light heavyweight last year. He has not fought since he defeated Stipe Miocic by unanimous decision in March 2022 to claim the title. He has been waiting for a worthy challenger to emerge, and he might have found one in Aspinall.
Jones responded to Aspinall’s callout on Twitter with a simple message: “Sounds good lol”. He did not seem too impressed or intimidated by Aspinall’s performance or words, but he also did not dismiss him outright. He might be interested in facing him if he can back up his claims and beat either Gane or Spivak.
This is a potential fight that could generate a lot of interest and excitement among fans and media. Jones is widely regarded as one of the best fighters of all time, having dominated two divisions and defended his titles multiple times. Aspinall is a rising star with knockout power and charisma, who could pose a serious threat to Jones’ reign. It remains to be seen if this fight will materialize, but it is definitely one to watch out for.