9 hours ago
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Tom Aspinall can finally move on after months of will-they-won't-they with Jon Jones.
The British UFC star will take on Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on October 25 - an opponent he's now been matched with four times.
Aspinall has not been in action since July last year when he finished Curtis Blaydes in the first round of their clash in Manchester.
He's been repeatedly calling out Jones, who still possessed the heavyweight belt after beating Stipe Miocic.
And Dana White was hugely confident that showdown would happen but the controversial American then announced his retirement.
The UFC and Aspinall are ready to move on and the 32-year-old, who has been promoted to full champion from interim title holder, wants to establish his own legacy now.
Ciryl Gane (left) will take on Tom Aspinall (right) for the heavyweight title at UFC 321
Jon Jones (right) retired, then made a U-turn, but the division is moving on without him
After White announced the fight, Aspinall took to social media, saying: 'Finally we're back after a year hiatus.
'Me and Ciryl finally signed on the dotted line. This is the fourth time we've been lined up together. He turned down the fight early on when we were both low down in the rankings.
'After that he fought Spivac, I said in a post-fight interview after I beat Tybura, "I'm going to go to Paris and be front row for Gane vs Spivac, I'm going to beat the winner and then I'm going to beat Jon Jones".
'I went to Paris, Ciryl unfortunately turned it down on a second occasion. The third time, I fought Curtis Blayes, Ciryl was supposed to be the opponent but was busy that date filming his Netflix series - I can't remember what it was called but I'm sure you can check it out now on Netflix.
'Now we're matched up in Abu Dhabi, me and Ciryl, the fourth attempt is here and this is Ciryl's third title shot so we are trying to get rid of Ciryl Gane from the title picture for good.'
No doubt Aspinall is relishing the chance to put the Jones saga behind him but the controversial American is still slightly muddying the waters.
Jones commented on a post on Instagram which depicted him fighting - and beating - Aspinall at the White House, with the British star left on the floor while Jones sat triumphantly.
In response, the 37-year-old wrote: 'I like this'. And two weeks after calling time on his career he said he had reentered the drug testing pool.
Dana White announced Aspinall's next fight and recently said he doesn't trust Jones
'Fighting at the White House?' Jones posted on X. 'Just re-entered the testing pool, that lasted for about two weeks. Figured we’d keep everyone’s options open.'
But when asked if he would feature Jones on the White House card - which was teased by Donald Trump and later confirmed by Dana White for next year, the UFC president said he would not trust Jones.
'It's not even about him winning the belt,' White told reporters at the UFC 318 post-fight press conference.
And the legendary fighter, who has missed other fights due to legal issues and drug suspensions, said on Sunday that he was 'disappointed' with White's remarks.
'I heard the comments made at last night's press conference. While I was a little disappointed, I'm still in the UFC's drug testing pool, staying sharp, and continuing to train like a professional. I'll be ready for whatever comes next,' Jones wrote on X.
Aspinall avenged his defeat to Curtis Blaydes to win the interim UFC heavyweight championship last year
'In a recent interview, I shared that the opportunity to fight at the White House gave me something deeper to fight for, a 'why' that goes beyond paychecks or belts. Fighting for my country gives me a greater purpose!
'The silver lining in all this is knowing the fans see my heart. They see, I am ready and willing to take on anyone, to represent my country on a historic stage. For me, it's never been just about the opponent. I'm chasing legacy, something timeless, something bigger than the moment,' he continued.
'So for now, I'll keep grinding, stay patient, and stay faithful. I'm ready to fight on July 4th.'
