Tom Aspinall enters UFC 321 not just to defend a title, but to erase all debate about who the best heavyweight on the planet truly is. Standing across from him is Ciryl Gane, a former interim champ with a chance to reclaim the spotlight he briefly held.
Aspinall (15-3) couldn’t help but smirk when he heard Gane talk about taking him into “deep waters.” In his words, every opponent who’s used that phrase has been violently separated from consciousness within the first minute, and he’s more than happy to keep that streak alive on Saturday.
“Did he actually use the word ‘deep waters’? Everybody who said the word ‘deep waters’ gets knocked out in the first minute,” Aspinall told reporters including Cageside Press at his media day scrum.
“Go back and check that. So I’m pretty happy with that! That’s good.”
Aspinall was asked whether the top of the division had gone stale, whether the big names were still as hungry as they once were. He didn’t hesitate, making it clear he’s not chasing star power or legacy fights, he’s chasing legitimacy.
“They’re still guys who want it. Maybe just not the bigger names. Those guys have done enough to do whatever they want. I’m the champion, I fight the #1 contender, that’s how champions are supposed to work,” he said.
“You’re the guy, you fight the next guy, prove you’re the best. You rinse and repeat that for as long as possible.”
Aspinall was asked, once again, about Jon Jones. About legacy. About how his story stacks up against the man many still call the heavyweight king. Instead of chasing shadows, Aspinall drew a line in the sand.
“I want to create my own path and go down that path. I’m not trying to compare myself to anybody else. You’ve got to remember my whole goal in this sport was to do it full time. That was my goal. I’ve been doing it full time now for a long time. So anything beyond that has been amazing,” he said.
“The fact that I can sit here with the title be number one in the world and the champion and stuff, that’s just great. I don’t want to be compared to anybody. I’m my own person and I want to do my own path in my own career.”
Aspinall made it clear he isn’t caught up in hypotheticals or fantasy matchmaking. He sees the heavyweight picture for exactly what it is. To him, the path forward is obvious, and he expects the UFC to follow the same logic.
“Whatever the UFC want to do. I think it’s pretty obvious that they’re going to do the winner versus winner. Me and Gane versus (Alexander) Volkov and (Jailton) Almeida. The winner of us versus the winner of them,” he said.
“I think it’s going to be next for the heavyweight title.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Tom Aspinall above. He defends his belt against Cyril Gane at UFC 321 on Saturday.
