Summary
Aspinall cheers during training. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/tomaspinallofficial
Tom Aspinall, the reigning heavyweight champion (up to 120,2 kg) and one of the leading representatives of MMA in Europe, should have plenty of reasons to be happy. However, the Englishman's situation has been far from pleasant since his last fight, which ended in a no contest after he was poked in the eye by Ciryl Gane . Amidst this uncertainty, the belt holder opened up and admitted he is unhappy with the direction his career has been taking.
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In an interview with journalist Peter Carroll in a video published on YouTube this Friday (13), Aspinall was sincere in admitting that even though he really likes the technical and tactical aspects of MMA, he is far from being a fan of the way the UFC manages the careers of certain athletes.
“I will never stop loving MMA, but I hate the business. I think the fighters are completely replaceable, and the business will make you feel that way whenever it has the chance. Even if you are punished for an illegal action that could affect the rest of your life, they don't care. And nobody else cares either,” he stated.
Tom Aspinall on why he hates the fight business:
"I'll never stop loving [MMA], but I just hate the business. I think that fighters are completely replaceable and the business will make you feel like that any chance it gets.
Even if you get hit with an illegal move, which could… pic.twitter.com/81yQM10ntI
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 13, 2026
Aspinall has reason to criticize the decisions of Dana White and the UFC matchmakers . As interim champion, the Briton campaigned for months to unify the belts with Jon Jones , only to see Bones choose to face Stipe Miocic and hang up his gloves without granting him the opportunity. Now, while recovering from surgery on both eyes, his reign is increasingly threatened by Alex Poatan.
Could Tom Aspinall leave the UFC?
Tom Aspinall is the undisputed UFC champion. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC
The Englishman's statement comes at a curious time, to say the least. Out of action indefinitely and with Poatan's rise imminent, some MMA personalities like Josh Thomson , for example, stated this Friday (13) that the Ultimate and the fighter had reached an agreement to release him from his contract so that Aspinall could dedicate himself to boxing. The title would be vacant and would most likely be disputed by the Brazilian. The information was not confirmed by anyone connected to the champion.
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