So, Jon Jones is officially gone. After years of holding the heavyweight division in a weird sort of limbo, "Bones" finally hung up the gloves in June 2025. He didn't give the fans the unification fight everyone was screaming for, but he did leave the keys to the kingdom behind. That means the man standing at the top of the mountain right now is Tom Aspinall.
Honestly? It's about time.
For a long while, people were calling Aspinall the "paper champ" because he held the interim belt while Jones was recovering from that nasty pectoral tear. But look at the landscape today in early 2026. Aspinall isn't just a placeholder anymore; he is the undisputed king of the big men. If you’ve been following his trajectory from the Manchester gyms to the apex of the UFC, you know this wasn't luck.
The Road to Undisputed Status
The transition from interim to undisputed wasn't a typical "win the big fight" moment. It was a phone call. On June 21, 2025, during the UFC Baku post-fight presser, Dana White dropped the bombshell. Jones had called him the night before and said he was done. Just like that, the "interim" tag was ripped off Aspinall’s name.
He didn't celebrate by throwing a wild party. Instead, he posted on Instagram about being an "active" champion. That was a direct jab at the inactivity that plagued the division for the previous two years.
Aspinall's resume is kinda ridiculous when you actually sit down and look at the clock. He doesn't just win; he deletes people. We’re talking about a guy who finished Sergei Pavlovich—a man who looked like an indestructible Russian tank—in just 69 seconds. He did the same to Curtis Blaydes. He basically spends less time in the Octagon than most people spend looking for a parking spot at the grocery store.
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What Makes Tom Aspinall Different?
Most heavyweights are "specialists." You have the guys who just want to take your head off with one punch, like Derrick Lewis, and then you have the grinders. Aspinall is a freak of nature because he moves like a middleweight.
His footwork is probably the best we've ever seen in the 265-pound division. He doesn't plod. He bounces. He uses angles. And his grappling? It's elite. Most fans forget he’s a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who grew up training with his dad, Andy Aspinall.
It’s this "hybrid" style that makes him a nightmare. If you stay on the outside, he’ll blitz you with a 1-2 that lands before you see his shoulders move. If you try to clinch, he’ll trip you and have your back in a heartbeat.
The Controversy You Might Have Missed
It hasn't been all smooth sailing, though. If you've been on MMA Twitter (or X, whatever) lately, you've probably seen the drama surrounding UFC 321. That was the night in late 2025 when Aspinall faced Ciryl Gane.
It was supposed to be his first big "undisputed" defense. Instead, it ended in a No Contest. Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in both eyes during a scramble early in the first round. It was brutal. Tom ended up with a condition called Brown’s syndrome, which basically messes with your eye's ability to track upward.
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He had to have surgery. He’s been out of the cage for a few months now, which is why you haven't seen him on the recent cards in early 2026. People are already getting impatient, which is funny considering how long they waited for Jones.
"I've faced incredible highs and some tough lows," Jones said when he retired, but Aspinall is currently living through those lows while trying to keep the belt relevant.
The Financial Side of the King
Winning the belt changes your life. It’s not just about the gold; it’s about the points on the pay-per-view. As of 2026, Tom and his wife Justyna have a net worth estimated between $6 million and $8 million.
That’s a far cry from the days when he was contemplating walking away from the sport because of a knee injury. He’s been smart with his money, too. No flashy fleets of Lamborghinis. He stays in the UK, trains at Team Kaobon, and lives a pretty quiet life with his son and daughter.
Who Is Next for the Champ?
The heavyweight division is finally starting to move again. While Tom recovers from the eye surgery, the rest of the sharks are circling.
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- Alex Pereira: The Light Heavyweight champ "Poatan" has been teasing a move to heavyweight for a legacy fight. Imagine those two trading leg kicks.
- Ciryl Gane: There is obviously unfinished business there. The fans want a rematch that doesn't end with a finger in the eye.
- The New Guard: Guys like Jailton Almeida are still lurking, though the "wrestle-heavy" style hasn't exactly made them fan favorites.
Why the "Duck" Narrative is Dead
For a year, the narrative was that Jon Jones was "ducking" Aspinall. Jones even admitted on a podcast that he was making more money off Tom being the interim champ than Tom was making himself. It was a power play.
But now that Jones is retired, that cloud has lifted. Aspinall doesn't have to answer questions about a man who isn't even in the USADA (or Drug Free Sport International) testing pool anymore. He is the standard.
The reality of the UFC heavyweight division in 2026 is that it's finally "open" again. We have a champion who actually wants to fight three times a year. He’s a guy who talks to the media, shows up for the fans, and doesn't have a laundry list of legal issues trailing behind him.
Navigating the 2026 Landscape
If you're a bettor or just a hardcore fan, keep an eye on Aspinall’s recovery. The Brown’s syndrome surgery is no joke. If his depth perception is even 5% off, his entire style—which relies on pinpoint accuracy and timing—could be in trouble.
However, his team says he’s already back to light drills. He’s focused on "evolving," which is a scary thought for someone who already finishes fights in under two minutes.
To stay ahead of the curve on the heavyweight title picture, you should look at the upcoming UFC 324 results. While that card is headlined by the Pimblett vs. Gaethje interim-talk (mostly for the 155/170 crowd), the heavyweight landscape will be decided by how fast Aspinall can get his vision back to 20/20.
Follow the official UFC rankings updates every Tuesday to see if any new contenders leapfrog into the top three while the champ is sidelined. The era of the "King of the North" is here, and whether you like it or not, the heavyweight throne stays in England for now.