Tom Aspinall makes Jon Jones fight claim as he aims for 'superstardom' at UFC 304

As the razzmatazz of the UFC prepares to roll into Manchester later this month, interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is keen to settle a score once and for all.

The 31-year-old, who hails from Salford, is preparing to rematch American Curtis Blaydes in UFC 304's co-main event at the Co-op Live Arena on July 27th. The bout will be Aspinall's first since becoming the UFC's interim heavyweight champion last November when he beat Russian Sergei Pavlovich courtesy of a devastating first-round TKO.

A first defence of the interim title won't be the only thing on Aspinall's mind, though, as he takes to the octagon next Saturday, with the Brit looking to avenge his July 2022 loss to Blaydes - his first and only defeat since signing for the UFC back in 2020.

Aspinall lasted all of 15 seconds at the O2 Arena as he tore his medial collateral ligament when looking to engage with Blaydes and, as a result, had to forfeit the contest on medical terms.

Next week's bout, then, hands him the opportunity to right the wrongs of two years ago while simultaneously co-headlining the UFC's first Manchester card since 2016.

"I want to put this one to bed and I want to be done with it," Aspinall tells the Manchester Evening News. "And it’s nice to do it in Manchester. This might be the only [UFC] fight I ever have in Manchester because if I win this one, which I should do - confident I will do, I’m probably going to be Stateside for the rest of my career.

"I would like to fight in Manchester again but I imagine that it’s on to superstardom after this one - so they will want me Stateside."

The UFC's arrival in Manchester has been criticised by some quarters due to the promotion's decision to schedule the card for prime-time viewing in