“Give me my undisputed title, because in my opinion it should not be two champions in one weight division,” interim Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall said after the UFC 309 main event between Jon J͏͏ones and ͏Stipe Mio͏cic was announced. True to his word, after Aspinall defeated Sergei Pavlovich at the UFC 295 in November, 2023, many expected UFC to scrap the “legacy” fight between Jones and Miocic for a title unification bout. However, as that’s far from happening—especially with Jones’ insistence—fans are definitely not happy. What’s irked them even more is Aspinall and Dana White’s stance in all of this…

Ever since the UFC 309 announcement was made, Aspinall expressed his wish to be a part of the event by hook or by crook. The 31-year-old even volunteered for a backup position akin to what happened during the UFC 295. For the unversed, Jones was originally scheduled to fight Miocic on November 12 last year. However, Dana White announced that the 37-year-old had torn his pectoral tendon during training and would require surgery, keeping him out for eight months. Subsequently, the promotion booked a fight between the originally scheduled backup, Aspinall, and Pavlovich.

So it was not long before the Briton said, “I, of course, have told the UFC if anybody gets injured or for any other reason why nobody can make it to that fight, why one of them might pull out, I’m ready to go,” while also adding he’ll be there in person to attend the fight. And to prove his readiness, the heavyweight champ even shared an Instagram Reel with that exact caption: “Back up ✅ Always ready 👀🤛💥🥔”

With a record of 15 victories and 3 defeats, Aspinall is one of the best heavyweights in the world. Interestingly, out of those 15 victories, 14 came in the very first round. Aspinall’s last win came on July this year against Curtis Blaydes, in the UFC 304. Miocic on the other hand has a 20-4-0 record, but his last win came on August 15, 2020 against Daniel Cormier in the UFC 252. His last fight in the UFC 260 on March 27, 2021, against Francis Ngannou was a loss. To go more deep, Miocic hasn’t won a fight since Aspinall was just 1-0 in his UFC career.

So it’s understandable why the MMA community might be angry that the UFC is using him as a backup fighter.

T͏om Aspinall training footage sparks outrage as fans call out Dana White

One fan was blatant in his criticism as he commented on Aspinall’s post, “How the Interim champ can be a back up fighter is Crazy”

Furthermore, a fan emphasized that Aspinall could defeat both of them in one night, and exactly what the British fighter said in one of his conversations with the media, “You can beat Jones and Stipe in one night.” Moreover, another fan stated that Aspinall should be a heavyweight champion rather than a backup fighter, “Backup? real HW champ you mean.”

Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic are considering retirement after their bout against each other or at least that’s been the buzz for over a year now. The heavyweight champion even once remarked that this would be his final dance. Looking at this, a fan said, “Brother you’re the best. But I see zero realistic possibilities of either guy fighting you on short notice. let’s be real”.

More fans came forward to support Tom Aspinall’s heavyweight championship call, “Bro your the defending heavyweight champion of the world, not the back up”. Last but not least, a fan highlighted that both the fighters would most probably retire than facing Aspinall, “Waste of time, if Stipe gets hurt Jones will just retire”

November 16 would decide the fate of the heavyweight division and Tom Aspinall has a huge act to play in that. Regardless, what’s your take on Aspinall as a backup fighter? State your thoughts in the comments below.