Tom Aspinall sits down with Hunter Campbell in London to debate Jon Jones battle and opens up on retirement plans

Tom Aspinall has revealed to Mail Sport that he sat down with UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell on Thursday evening to discuss the long-awaited heavyweight showdown with Jon Jones. 

Speaking ahead of the meeting in London, Aspinall said he was hopefully they could finalise the bout – admitting he’s grown increasingly frustrated by the waiting game as Jones continues to stall.

‘I should hopefully find out what is going on with the fight this evening. I am having a meeting with Hunter at about 10pm this evening and I am hopeful we can get the fight over the line. I don’t actually have any facts right now. I am just reading the news like everyone else. I am just as fed up of waiting for things to fall into place.’

The uncertainty has left the UFC interim heavyweight champion in limbo, training hard without a confirmed date or opponent – something he is finding particularly frustrating. 

‘It’s been a bit weird,’ he admits. ‘Usually, if I’m not fighting, I’m either injured or training for something. But this time, I’m training for quite literally nothing. It’s frustrating because I’m doing really well in the gym, but I don’t get to go out and showcase it.’

If the fight with Jones does materialise, it will be the biggest moment of Aspinall’s career. But the scale of the occasion isn’t lost on him—nor is the pressure that comes with it.

Tom Aspinall has revealed to Mail Sport that he sat down with UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell on Thursday evening to discuss the Jon Jones fight

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Aspinall said he was hopefully they could finalise the bout – admitting he’s grown increasingly frustrated by the waiting game as Jones continues to stall 

‘Yeah, it’s definitely the biggest fight of my life,’ he says. ‘But I think fear can help you win. I realised that just before I got to the UFC. You don’t have to fight against the fear—it can work for you. 

‘The nerves actually get worse with every fight. The stakes are higher, the opponents are better, the occasions are bigger, and there’s more money on the line. I thought it would get easier, but I was wrong. It’s something I’ve had to come to terms with.’

For Aspinall, those nerves stem from a simple truth.

‘I just don’t really want to get beat up in front of millions of people,’ he laughs. ‘That’s not a place I want to be. I don’t want my family and friends to see me shirtless, getting battered. So, I try my best to make sure that doesn’t happen.’

But does the anxiety and nerves outweigh the joy of fighting under the lights? For the UFC interim heavyweight champion, the answer was more complex than a simple yes or no. 

‘If you asked me before a fight, I’d probably say yes,’ he admits. ‘But ask me after a win, and I’d definitely say no. It just depends when you ask. If you asked me on Thursday and I was fighting on Saturday I would probably say the nerves outweigh the joy. But, if it’s Saturday night and I’ve just won I would probably say no’. 

Despite the nerves, Aspinall is making a conscious effort to enjoy these moments and collect memories he can regale to his children and grand children when he finally calls it a day.

‘I try to enjoy it as much as I can because I know I’m closer to the end of my career than the beginning,’ he says. ‘Not that I’m retiring anytime soon, but these are big moments. 

If the fight with Jones does materialise, it will be the biggest moment of Aspinall’s career. But the scale of the occasion isn’t lost on him—nor is the pressure that comes with it

Aspinall has already made it clear he doesn’t plan on fighting forever. He’s previously said he wanted to retire at 40, valuing long-term health over pushing his career too far

‘One day, I want to sit down with my grandkids and tell them how I was a UFC champion, how I was the best in the world. When I enjoy myself, I perform at my best. Some fighters get into that warrior mindset mode, but for me, I just focus on having fun.’

Aspinall has already made it clear he doesn’t plan on fighting forever. He’s previously said he wanted to retire at 40, valuing long-term health over pushing his career too far.

‘I’d rather retire a little too early than a little too late,’ he explains. ‘I’ve seen friends retire and deal with lifelong health issues because of fighting, and I want to avoid that if I can.’

That reality doesn’t scare him, though. He’s always known what he signed up for and would do it again in a heartbeat. 

‘This sport is literally about two guys trying to hurt each other. I’ve been competing since I was 17, and I knew back then that I could get hurt. But at least now I’m getting some decent financial gain from it—before, I was making 500 quid!’.

While waiting for his next fight, Aspinall has kept busy by launching his own YouTube channel – Tom Aspinall Official – giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at his life and training.

‘Nobody else will fight me, so I needed something to do,’ he jokes. ‘I just wanted to show my personality. I’m not the type of guy to talk trash about opponents, so this is a way for fans to see more of me.

‘I mean, for me personally, I’m very locked in on fight week. I just want to do the interviews and leave, whereas on the YouTube videos, it is a bit more fun. I’ve got more time to show my personality and let fans in.

While waiting for his next fight, Aspinall has kept busy by launching his own YouTube channel – Tom Aspinall Official – giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at his life and training

‘It’s good to collaborate with other people who do different sports and other like industries like social media star – YouTubers and stuff like that so it’s really good fun to be honest’.

The channel has even pushed him to try new things—like learning how to swim.

‘I couldn’t really swim before, and I actually learned through a YouTube video with Ross Edgley,’ he reveals. ‘Now, I do swimming as part of my training once a week. So yeah, big shoutout to Ross—brilliant stuff.’

But for now, Aspinall remains locked in, waiting for that call to confirm his biggest fight yet. And when it finally comes, he’ll be ready.