Tom Aspinall next fight - UFC 304 title defence, mega Jon Jones bout and wildcard option

Tom Aspinall makes his eagerly awaited return to Manchester to co-headline UFC 304 at the Coop Arena on Saturday, July 27.

The Salford-born fighter will make the first defence of his UFC interim heavyweight world title when he takes on Curtis Blaydes in the co-main event, with fellow British fighter Leon Edwards defending his UFC welterweight world title against Belal Muhammad.

In what is an exciting time for MMA in Britain, the event will mark the first numbered pay-per-view UFC event in the UK since Edwards' first title defence against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286 at London's O2 Arena in March 2023.

Aspinall has designs of cementing himself as a superstar in the sport and he knows victory on Saturday elevates him to a shot at becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion.

As such, MEN Sport have taken a look at Aspinall's next fight and a look at some lucrative options beyond that.

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Aspinall will make the first defence of the interim heavyweight title he won in stunning fashion in November 2023, by fighting Blaydes at UFC 304. The 31-year-old stepped in to face knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich on just over two weeks' notice in the co-main event at UFC 295.

The Russian fighter was seen as the most fearsome puncher in the division but Aspinall turned the tables to flatten his opponent with a first round KO.

Once it became clear a shot at heavyweight world champion Jon Jones was not on the cards, the rematch with Blaydes became a natural fit.

Aspinall's only loss in the UFC came when he suffered a serious knee