Video
Original Description
UFC Live’s Dan Hellie, Alan Jouban and Michael Chiesa discuss the heavyweight division as champion Tom Aspinall is nearly a win away from his last fight.
✔ For more UFC, sign up for ESPN+ http://espnplus.com/ufc/youtube
✔ Get the ESPN App: http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn
✔ Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: http://es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoYOUTUBE
✔ Subscribe to ESPN FC on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoESPNFC
✔ Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoNBAonESPN
✔ Watch ESPN on YouTube TV: http://es.pn/YouTubeTV
Video Transcript
But it has been a minute, boy. 349 days
as of today since Aspenol last fought.
Yeah. I mean, obviously we would all
have loved to see either the super fight
with him and Jon Jones happen or him
fight somebody else a bit sooner. Not
such a long layoff, but I don't look at
it as a bad thing. When I think about
Tom Aspenol, 32 years old, he's still in
that realm of being in the beginning of
his prime right now. And when you have a
year off, good things can happen when
you look at it. Certain injuries have
time to heal and you're able to add
elements to your game that you haven't
been able to do when you're in fight
camp. Fight camp is when you break down
the body. When you're off for a while,
you could add new tools to the game. So,
I think next time that we see him, he's
going to be not only invigorated to
fight again, but have new tools and beer
and better as well.
I like your glasses half full mentality
because I think the glass is half empty.
I would have loved to see him fight Jon
Jones. And if it's not Jon Jones, I
would have loved to see him just get out
there and compete. And I'm sure yes, he
has evolved in the time away. He's
become a better fighter. His body has
not been as broken down, but I very much
am still a competitor. And if I'm
healthy, I want to fight. So, I can't
imagine being a guy in Tom Aspenol who's
hungry to fight, who's chasing
greatness, who's really has the makings
to become one of the greatest
heavyweights, if not the greatest
heavyweight of all time. So, I'm more of
the glasses half empty, but I'm glad
we've got some clarity and I'm sure
we're going to dive into that. Astronaut
is the undisputed champ. So, I'm excited
to see him get in the octagon and get
back to competing.
And I got a chance to hang out with him
a couple of weeks ago in Atlanta, and he
says the same thing away from the camera
that he says on camera. I want to get
back in there. I want to fight. I want
to take down every single fighter in the
top 10. and he's already done it to four
guys. Let's take a look at the top 10 as
it stands right now in the heavyweight
rankings. Tom Aspenol wants to fight
each and every one of them. Sir Gan
currently the number one ranked
contender. Now he's already fought
Vulov, finished him in the first round
in 2022. Pavlovich knocked him out for
the interim title in 2023. Knocked out
Curtis Blades in his last fight. Moved
down the list Sergey Spivok. It was a
first round finish in 2021 for Aspenol.
So who do you guys want to see next? I
would really like to see him fight
Serial Gone because I feel like Serial
Gone has the movement and the agility
that kind of mirrors what Tom Aspenol
brings into the octagon. Now, does he
have the same power? He definitely does
not. But I think that that that's going
to bring out the best in Tom as a guy
that's going to move with him, a guy
that can kind of do the dance, that can
play a similar type of game, and maybe
just get Tom Asol out of the first
round. I would like to see Tom Asol
fight over the course of five rounds so
we could really see his full skill set.
And I truly believe that Serial Gone has
the durability and the tools to make it
a much longer fight than all of Tom
Aspenol's previous opponents. So that's
why Serial Gone is my number one vote as
to who should be the guy to fight him
for the belt next.
Yeah, and I definitely think Sodon
matches up with him the best when you
look at body style uh and athleticism
for guys that size. But if it's not
going to be Sodon, I would like to see
somebody with a much taller frame. Kind
of like our main event,
but I'm looking at Alexander Valt. This
guy right here has the height, has the
reach, he has the striking accolades to
be able to stand and trade with Tom
Asen. He's number two in the rankings
right now and he just came off of a loss
recently to Silgon, but that was a split
decision that a lot of people think he
got robbed. A lot of people, including
Dana White, thinks he rightfully won
that fight, which would have put him
first in line to fight. But I would like
to see how well Tom Asenol sizes up
against somebody with the height, the
range, and the striking pedigree of
Alexander Volkov. So Vulkoff in between
his fights with Sirill Ganon and Tom
Aspenol beat Jarzinho Rosen Strike,
Alexander Romangh, Taiu Ivasa, and
Sergey Pavlovich. So he was streaking
before that fight and you're right that
was a very very close fight with Sir
Gone.
One of them that I think we probably all
agree the judges got that one wrong. I
think in a lot of people's eyes at least
it was close enough. I don't think
Michael agrees but it was a very close
fight. It could have gone either way. It
could have gone either way, but still it
kind of makes the water a little bit
muddy because, you know, Tom Asel kind
of had his way with Alexander Volov the
first time that they fought. And while
Volov has put together this great win
streak, if he gets past serial gone,
it's still like, well, should he be the
next guy because there's really
well while he's earned his right at the
top, you probably look below him for
somebody that Asal hasn't fought yet.
Something that's some new blood. So, I
think serial gone getting the nod is the
best thing for the heavyweight to be.
And to his point, I mean, Tom Asenol
just ran through Volkov on the ground.
he would be a lot more competitive. Tom
knew that he has the ability to strike
with you and knock you out or take you
to the ground and utilize that black.
Well, and that's what I would worry
about with Sir Gan, right? Is if he can
take him to the ground. Sir Gan,
obviously we've seen his ground game not
necessarily up to par when he has to
take on some of these jiu-jitsu guys who
really know what they're doing.
And also one other thing is let's see
how Tom Asol does against Gon and then
it brings about the Jon Jones
controversy because what if he beats Sir
Gon better
gets him out of there faster. I don't
know if he gets them out. Well, I mean,
he's Tom is known for getting people out
of their
fat. Just maybe that could match up with
the White House event that could happen
next July and Dana White has already
gone on record to say the Aspenol Jon
Jones would be the perfect main event at
the White House uh next July.
Dan Hely for matchmaker 2026.
How active want to stay in between that
time I think is the question though. Tom
does get the gun fight and say he wins
that how act how soon would he want to
fight again or would he want to wait for
the for the white house fight and we
don't know what happens with John I
think he wants to stay busy
he does want to stay busy he has made
that very clear to anybody who will
listen all right how about the top three
threats overall for Aspenol and listen
they can be from any weight division
they can be retired they can be a former
two division champion they can be
whatever you guys want them to be let's
uh let's start with you on this one
all right I I'll take this off first one
right here. You named them already.
Sagan, the best uh it's a parallel to
the the body style, big frame. He moves
like a a welterweight. He's got
explosive power, high level kickboxing.
Sitt number one. Also in there, the man
I mentioned, Alexander Volkov, very tall
for division, has earned a second shot
at this matchup. And lastly, pending on
what happens on Saturday night with with
Talison Texta against Derrick Lewis. If
Talison Texter wins this fight, which
he's done all eight of his victories in
the very first round. If you get Derrick
Lewis out of there in the first round,
you're a 25-year-old 6'8 knockout
artist. This is somebody who could pose
a big threat to Tom Aspenol in the
future.
Slow your roll, buddy. He's got to get
through Derrick Lewis first and a couple
of the guys at the top of the He's got
to get a number next to his name first,
Allan Boy. But hey, I see what you're
saying. He's
He has He has a number next to his name.
He's in the top 15. He's ranked 13.
Oh, he's 13. Yeah. He really surged his
way to the top there.
Yeah. After one fight. Get your point.
Get your point out.
Get my point. Okay. Okay. Back to my
point. Look, I already named the guy
first, Jon Jones. I mean, Jon Jones to
me, that's the top of the heap. I
wouldn't even put him into this
conversation if he didn't just come out
and say he's putting himself back in the
testing pool. So, Jones is very much at
the top for the top three threats to Tom
Aspenol. Number two is gone. We touched
on that. But I want to talk about Jaylen
Almeida. This is a guy that's clamoring
for a shot at Tom Aspenol online. He
brings a different type of threat to the
heavyweight division. That grappling
heavy approach. He's a very dangerous
submission artist. He's got back-to-back
wins, both by submission. And I think
that he's a guy that's really starting
to come into his own. And if he can get
that fight against um Tom Asma, I think
he could present some problems for him
in the grappling department.
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]