Tom Aspinall defends heavyweight division amid ‘shallow’ criticism from Joe rogan and UFC fans  

Tom Aspinall believes the UFC heavyweight division will flourish in the next few years.

The 265lb weight class has been bereft of stars and top contenders for quite some time.

A fight between Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones seemed like the only thing fans could look forward to.

Now that their clash appears to be off, there are no obviously fun fights to make at heavyweight.

• EXCLUSIVE: Tom Aspinall says Ciryl Gane has worked on ‘holes in his ground game’, could try to take him down at UFC 321

Tom Aspinall defends the UFC heavyweight division

Tom Aspinall will defend his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 on October 25.

The French fan favorite is viewed by many as an uninspiring challenger after previously falling short in championship fights with Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou, who both outgrappled him to get their respective victories.

Some people also say Ciryl Gane was lucky to win his last fight against Alexander Volkov. Dana White immediately apologized for the Russian heavyweight after he was on the wrong end of a controversial split decision at UFC 310 in December 2024.

Despite everything, Aspinall is feeling optimistic about the heavyweight division he currently reigns over.

It’s heavyweight MMA, anybody can beat anybody, so you just never know,” he said during an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow.

“As far as name value, yeah, it’s probably not as good now as it’s been before.

“But I think the level of the guys is really good, actually.

“There’s a few new signings coming in, and I think it’s gonna be an exciting few years for the heavyweight division.”

Joe Rogan’s heavyweight criticism

In February, Joe Rogan shared his major concern about the UFC’s heavyweight division.

“Man, the heavyweight division is so shallow,” the 58-year-old said on his podcast.

“I was just thinking that the other day, because if they don’t make Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall, what is compelling?

“Unless they bring Francis [Ngannou] back. Unless the PFL collapses, and he gets released.”

Aspinall’s teammate, Ante Delija, leads a fairly long list of heavyweight fighters the UFC has signed since then.

There seems to be a concerted effort being made to revive what is typically the most exciting weight class in combat sports.

Only time will tell if it’s enough to make Aspinall’s optimistic heavyweight prediction come true.