Dana White ‘hates’ Tom Aspinall’s remarks about refusing to fight surging heavyweight teammate
UFC CEO Dana White isn’t thrilled with some of Tom Aspinall’s recent comments ahead of his UFC 321 headliner against Ciryl Gane.
Undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall will make his first title defense this Saturday against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. Aspinall was promoted to undisputed titleholder following Jon Jones’s retirement, after months of holding on to the interim title during Jones’s controversial reign.
As Aspinall prepares to kick off his undisputed title reign, several top contenders are moving up the ranks for a shot at the new champion. This includes former PFL heavyweight champion Ante Delija, who earned a brutal knockout victory in his UFC debut earlier this year at UFC Paris over Marcin Tybura.
Delija’s win propelled him into the heavyweight Top 10 and leaves him a win or two away from a title shot. But Aspinall, Delija’s longtime training partner, recently admitted he’d rather vacate the title than face off with Delija in a potential championship fight.
Dana White: Tom Aspinall’s refusal to fight Ante Delija ‘insane’ amidst heavyweight’s rise
During a recent interview with TNT Sports, White was asked for his thoughts on Aspinall’s stance, and didn’t seem too pleased with the UFC heavyweight champion.
“You know what I think about it, I hate that. Many friends, relatives have all fought each other before,” White said of Aspinall.
“It doesn’t determine…whether or not you’re friends with somebody or hate them, you’re competing to see who the best is. But that’s his decision. To think about even vacating him because you don’t want to compete against somebody is insane.
“But he’s a grown man and it’s up to him.”
As of this writing, it’s uncertain what the UFC matchmakers have planned for Delija’s next fight, although it’s expected to come against another top heavyweight contender. Meanwhile, as Aspinall looks to add to his legacy this weekend, questions persist regarding his top teammate’s path to a title shot.
