With Jon Jones retired, UFC champion Tom Aspinall is being discussed as part of a new blockbuster heavyweight fantasy fight.
Following a record-long reign as interim champ, Aspinall was finally elevated to undisputed status after Dana White announced Jones’ retirement from MMA.
That news brought to an end the long back-and-forth over whether Jones vs. Aspinall would come to fruition and who would emerge victorious from the unification showdown as heavyweight king.
But the collapse of that matchup doesn’t mean Aspinall is without fantasy super fights for fans to ponder.
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Curtis Blaydes picks Francis Ngannou over Tom Aspinall in heavyweight fantasy fight
In the absence of Jones, some have turned their wishes to a super fight between Aspinall and former UFC heavyweight champion-turned-PFL star Francis Ngannou. Predictions for the bout have varied, but not many come from the kind of experience that Curtis Blaydes’ recent assessment does.
‘Razor’ has faced both men twice, losing three of those four contests. Blaydes was knocked out by Ngannou in both of their fights before suffering the same fate against Aspinall at UFC 304 last year. That was two years after a freak injury saw the American have his hand raised over the Englishman the first time around.
With that in mind, Blaydes is well placed to break down their fantasy fight.
“If I’m gonna be a betting man, I’m gonna put my money on Francis,” Blaydes said on Joaquin Buckley’s Brick Brothers Podcast.
“Just because of the reach. He can hit you from like eight inches away from where you can hit him. That’s a huge benefit, especially at heavyweight.
“I don’t know how Tom would be able to — you’ve just gotta survive,” Blaydes continued. “I think maybe if he used the wrestling, but we haven’t really seen him use his wrestling so I don’t know how skilled of a wrestler he is.
“Francis, he showed in his fight with (Ciryl) Gane that he can wrestle a little bit…so I’m gonna go with Ngannou…I believe Tom has a path to victory, but if I was to bet, I’d put my money on Ngannou.”
Dana White’s stance on Francis Ngannou returning to the UFC
Unfortunately for fans hoping to see the Aspinall vs. Ngannou fight come to fruition, similar to the Brit’s collapsed Jones matchup, it looks likely to remain in the realm of fantasy.
Both Dana White and ‘The Predator’ have dismissed talk of a reunion, with the UFC CEO responding, “Probably not,” when asked if a comeback was on the cards for Ngannou at a recent press conference.
And as his former boss continued to field questions about a return, ‘The Predator’ emerged on social media to question when he had even entertained the idea of pushing for it himself.
For now, Ngannou’s sights look to be on boxing again following his successful PFL debut against Renan Ferreira in 2024.