Tom Aspinall creates never-before-seen scenario in UFC and it's a major problem for Dana White
Tom Aspinall being promoted to the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion has created a never-before-seen scenario in the UFC.
After Saturday's UFC event in Baku, Azerbaijan, Dana White made a bombshell announcement during the post-fight press conference.
He revealed that Jon Jones called the UFC and retired, elevating Aspinall to the UFC heavyweight champion in the process, having held the interim title.
"Jon Jones called us last night and retired," White said.
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"Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC.
"Do I regret the time that I gave [Jones to decide]? Listen, if you look at what he's accomplished in the sport, no."
Aspinall wasted no time in reacting to becoming the new UFC heavyweight king as he promised to be an 'active' champion.
"For you fans. It’s time to get this Heavyweight division going," he wrote on social media. "An active Undisputed Champion."
Jones released a statement of his own after walking away from the UFC.
With his retirement, there are currently no American male champions in the UFC - the first time since 2004, when there were only four divisions.
The eight current male UFC champions are all non-American in a never-before-seen scenario.
Brazil's Alexandre Pantoja is the UFC flyweight champion and Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili is the UFC bantamweight champion.
Australia have two UFC champions in featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski and newly-minted welterweight title holder Jack Della Maddalena.
Dricus du Plessis of South Africa is the UFC middleweight king, Russia's Magomed Ankalaev is in possession of the light-heavyweight title and, of course, Aspinall is the UFC heavyweight champion.
And the UFC lightweight championship is currently vacant, with Spain's Ilia Topuria and Brazil's Charles Oliveira competing for the 155lbs title at next weekend's UFC 317.
The array of UFC champions shows the diversity of the promotion but not having a male American champion could prove to be a problem for White in the US especially with the company in discussions over a new broadcast deal.
Aspinall, meanwhile, is set to hold talks with White next week in Las Vegas ahead of UFC 317, which is headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Oliveira.
Going off the UFC's official rankings, No.2 ranked heavyweight Ciryl Gane could be Aspinall's first title defence of his undisputed championship.
Topics: Dana White, Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones, UFC
Nasir Jabbar