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Dana White, the president of the UFC, has confirmed that Tom Aspinall will serve as the backup fighter for the highly anticipated UFC 309. This event, scheduled to take place on November 16 at Madison Square Garden, features a heavyweight title showdown between Jon Jones and former champion Stipe Miocic. The fight has been in the works for over a year, and fans have been eagerly awaiting this moment. However, Tom Aspinall has made sure to stay in the mix for the heavyweight title scene.
After hearing the official announcement, Aspinall quickly threw his name into the ring, stating that he would be ready as the backup for the main event. UFC President Dana White confirmed this during a post-event press conference for the Contender Series, stating,
“Yes, Tom Aspinall is next in line for anything that happens after this fight.”
Aspinall’s determination and success in the interim heavyweight championship have kept him as a top contender, making him the go-to fighter if anything happens to Jones or Miocic before the event.
However, serving as the backup doesn’t guarantee that Aspinall will get his shot at the undisputed heavyweight title. In fact, a similar situation unfolded previously when Sergei Pavlovich was the backup for UFC 295, but the fight was postponed when Jones sustained an injury. Aspinall, instead, fought Pavlovich for the interim title. There’s always the possibility that this fight could be postponed or altered, but fans are hopeful it will go forward as planned.
Adding another twist, Jon Jones has hinted that UFC 309 may be his last fight. White, however, isn’t focusing on that for now, saying,
"You’ve got to figure out what’s going to happen in this fight. See how this fight plays out and then we’ll go from there.”
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