🔥 As Tom Aspinall prepares to defend his undisputed heavyweight title at UFC 321, not everyone is convinced that greatness alone will secure him a legacy among the sport’s all-time greats.
UFC veteran Matt Brown recently shared his thoughts on The Fighter vs. The Writer, arguing that Aspinall may be trapped in a weak era of heavyweight competition — one that makes it hard to earn true recognition, no matter how dominant he is.
“Without the Jon Jones fight, if it never happens, I’m not sure what he’s got to do,” Brown said. “He can beat all these guys, but who are we going to be fired up about him beating right now?”
“Best of the worst” — a heavyweight problem
Aspinall faces Ciryl Gane this weekend — a man who’s already fallen short twice in UFC title fights, losing to Francis Ngannou in 2022 and Jon Jones in 2023. While Gane’s technical ability is undeniable, Aspinall enters the bout as a heavy favorite, underscoring a larger issue: a lack of compelling matchups.
With Ngannou now in PFL and Jones seemingly more interested in a superfight with Alex Pereira, Aspinall finds himself without a clear rival to elevate his career.
Brown compared the situation to boxing’s Vitali Klitschko era, where dominance didn’t necessarily equal excitement.
“It took forever for people to give [Vitali] credit because of the lack of competition,” Brown said. “He’d just jab them for 12 rounds and cash his check. That’s kind of what this reminds me of.”
Who’s left for Aspinall?
If Aspinall defeats Gane, possible contenders include Jailton Almeida, Alexander Volkov, or Curtis Blaydes — names he’s already beaten or whose styles don’t generate much hype.
Brown believes Aspinall’s only path to true superstardom lies in how he wins, not just in racking up victories.
“He has to win spectacularly multiple times,” Brown explained. “He needs to go out there and show that he’s so far above these guys that he belongs up there with Jon Jones and the greats.”
If that doesn’t happen — and if a fight with Jones never materializes — Aspinall could become a dominant but underappreciated champion in a division that lacks the excitement and depth of its past.
“It sucks — he’s doing all the right things and the opportunities just aren’t coming his way,” Brown said. “Right now, we don’t see a path for legendary greatness for Tom Aspinall.”
Still, Brown believes time could fix that. “This sport has a way of working itself out,” he added. “If he keeps doing the right things, it’ll come — but right now, he’s the best of the worst.”
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