Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall discusses his chance to face Alex Poatan in the UFC

T. Aspinall watching A. Poatan prepare for fight. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @tomaspinallofficial

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New UFC heavyweight (up to 120,2 kg) linear champion, Tom aspinall begins to glimpse the next steps in his journey to the top of the division. In an interview with ESPN MMA, the Briton addressed the future of the category after the retirement of Jon Jones and commented on the possibility of facing Alex Poatán, one of the biggest names of today.

Despite acknowledging that a potential clash against the Brazilian would be a superfight with great appeal, Aspinall believes that this is not the right time for the duel. The Englishman highlighted that Poatan has priorities in the light heavyweight division (up to 93 kg), especially after the defeat to Magomed Ankalayev, in March.

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“He’s got business to take care of at light heavyweight, you know what I mean? He just lost his belt in a tough fight. I think Ankalaev is still a very tough guy to fight. Let’s see how he does next time, because in my opinion, Ankalaev doesn’t get the respect he deserves,” he said.

Aspinall, however, did not completely rule out the possibility of crossing paths with Poatan in the octagon. According to him, the Brazilian is capable of winning the rematch against Ankalaev, which would open the door to greater heights.

“It’s a tough fight for Alex, but he can win. If I were in his shoes, I would also want that rematch before thinking about moving up in weight,” he added.

What will be Tom Aspinall's first step as UFC linear champion?

The first act of Tom aspinall after the promotion to the position of UFC linear champion is still a mystery, but there is no shortage of interested parties. The first to speak out publicly was the Brazilian Jailton Malhadinho, sixth place in the ranking, which challenged the British on social media.

However, the tendency is that the first challenger to Aspinall's linear title will be Cyryl Gane. The Frenchman is ranked first in the category, coming off a victory over the Moldovan Serghei Spivac and has no fight scheduled, which makes him the obvious first choice for the organization.