Topics: UFC, Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones, MMA, Dana White
Tom Aspinall has shared his first thoughts on the UFC booking Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane on the White House card.
During the latest blockbuster card in Las Vegas, UFC President and CEO Dana White confirmed the full card for the highly-anticipated event set to take place at the White House.
Despite both Jon Jones and Conor McGregor being heavily linked to the card, it was confirmed that lightweight champion Ilia Topuria would headline in a bout against interim champion Justin Gaethje.
In the co-main event, Pereira will look to become the first-ever three-weight UFC champion as he faces Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight belt, with heavyweight champion Aspinall still recovering from eye injuries sustained in his December fight with Gane.
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Now, Aspinall has spoken out for the first time since the card was announced, confirming his thoughts on the interim title fight and Gane's place in it given his actions in December.
After over a year waiting on the sidelines while Jones decided the next step of his career, Aspinall's first fight as the UFC's undisputed heavyweight champion ended when Gane poked the champion in the eyes, forcing the Brit to retire from the fight.
Three months later, the heavyweight champion has undergone several eye surgeries and is slowly working his way back to fitness, while Gane is getting the chance to be a part of a massive fight on a historic card.
However, when asked for his views on the fight and if Gane has been 'rewarded' for the eye pokes, Aspinall revealed that he understood why the fight had to be made in his absence.
"I mean who else is going to fight though? The division is on its a**," Aspinall claimed on his YouTube channel.
"There's not many big fights to make is there? They got to do what they go to do."
Although he seemed understandably disappointed and frustrated by the announcement, Aspinall told fans that he expects to fight the winner of the bout later this year and is now awaiting the final checks to resume training.
He added: "Obviously, I want to fight the winner of that. Just waiting now to be given the green light from the doctor to start training properly again.
"As soon as we can start training properly again with full contact in the gym, we will be getting a fight date booked to fight the winner."
When asked how he would feel if Pereira were to win the interim title, therefore ruling out an immediate rematch with Gane, Aspinall assured fans that he still very much had a fight with the Frenchman in his sights.
"There's still a but of unfinished business there with me and Gane, so if Pereira wins, fight Pereira first, fight Gane next," he said.
While Aspinall remained fairly relaxed and measured in his response to Gane's inclusion on the White House card, the same can not be said for Jones.
For months, the former light-heavyweight and heavyweight champion has called for a title fight between him and Pereira to feature on the card, but UFC boss White has since confirmed he never even considered it.
After hearing this, Jones decided to take to social media with a series of posts expressing his frustration with his omission.
Jones wrote, "Make it make sense" and claimed he was "the fall guy" before commenting, "So all of this negotiating was complete bulls**t, is that what you want me to agree to publicly?"
The American deleted all of his posts and then later added another when he said, "Laying in my bed, wrapping my head around this perception. All I can think is how f**king painful."
