Outside Source
Tom Aspinall would welcome the opportunity to face Francis Ngannou. | Getty/UFC
Tom Aspinall believes he could navigate the threat that Francis Ngannou poses.
Aspinall recently became the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion after Jon Jones announced his retirement from the sport. “Honey Badger” was asked about a potential matchup against former champ Ngannou. While Aspinall acknowledges the knockout power of Ngannou, he believes his fight IQ is good enough to deal with it. However, the Englishman also admits that everything could be over in the blink of an eye in heavyweight MMA. Regardless of how it plays out, Aspinall is definitely interested in a matchup against Ngannou.
“I like the fight. I think he is very, very dangerous,” Aspinall told UFC on Eurosport. “I think that I’m a smart fighter with a good IQ. And I think that I could navigate that danger well. But man, you never know, this is heavyweight MMA. At the top level you never know until you’re in there. So, from the outside looking in, I think I’ll do good. You never know though. It’s a fight that I’ll definitely be interested in.”
Ngannou parted ways with the UFC as the reigning heavyweight champ in 2023 over failed contract negotiations. “The Predator” subsequently signed with the PFL, which also allowed him to compete in boxing. Ngannou earned massive paydays in boxing matches while dropping a split decision against Tyson Fury, followed by a brutal knockout against Anthony Joshua. The Cameroonian made his PFL debut last year, where he defeated Renan Ferreira to become the inaugural PFL Super Fights heavyweight champion. Dana White recently expressed disinterest in the idea of Ngannou returning to the UFC.
Aspinall Says Contract Signed for First Title Defense
Meanwhile, Aspinall said that he has officially signed the contract for his first title defense. And Jones returned to the testing pool within weeks of his retirement. While Jones wants to be a part of the UFC’s White House card in 2026, White hinted that it’s unlikely, as “Bones” is not reliable enough.
🔥👀Tom Aspinall on fighting Francis Ngannou:
“I think I’m a smart fighter with good fight IQ. I could navigate that danger well. From the outside looking in, I think I’ll do good. It’s a fight that I would definitely be interested in.”
(🎥 UFC on Eurosport) pic.twitter.com/aHoFxLC92p
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 21, 2025
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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