Tom Aspinall’s father and coach, Andy Aspinall, has openly criticized the UFC for the confusing and poorly managed announcement regarding his son’s elevation to undisputed heavyweight champion. The announcement, which took place during Dana White’s post-fight press conference at UFC Baku, came shortly after Jon Jones’ retirement and left both Tom and Andy caught off guard.

Tom Aspinall UFC heavyweight announcement was made public on June 22, 2025, with neither the fighter nor his team informed ahead of time. Andy revealed that he only found out about his son’s new status through Tom, who was contacted by UFC executive Hunter Campbell moments before the official declaration.

Coach Describes Late-Night Revelation as Poor Management

Speaking for the first time since the weekend, Andy Aspinall shared his frustration over how the UFC handled the situation. He explained that the information was conveyed through a text message from Campbell, relayed to both Tom and himself almost simultaneously. The suddenness and lack of preparation drew strong disapproval from Andy.

He said,

“I found out from Tom. At the same time Tom was calling me to tell me that Hunter [Campbell] had told him, Hunter text me saying, ‘Dana [White] has just announced that Tom is the champ’ — which was the same message he had sent Tom.”

Andy added,

“I sent a message back to Hunter saying, ‘I can’t think of a worse way you could have done it’.”

He reflected on the significance of such news, emphasizing,

“For me, the heavyweight championship of an organisation is quite a big thing and I don’t think Tom deserved to find out at a press conference in the middle of the night.”

His dismay grew as he continued,

“I can’t think of a worse way to do it, maybe if they had woken us up to tell us it would’ve been worse. We just happened to be awake at the time. It’s poor man management of Jones and Tom. I like the personnel at the UFC, but for me, they just don’t do things right sometimes.”

Highlighting the business side, Andy acknowledged the UFC’s success but lamented the lack of thought put into such an important announcement:

“Of course it’s a massively successful business, but I think something like that deserved more thought after everything we’ve been through with this.”

From Interim to Undisputed Champion: A Delay Filled Journey

This title recognition marks the end of a long wait for Tom Aspinall, who claimed the interim heavyweight belt 19 months ago. Since then, he has continued to build momentum inside the octagon. His 69-second knockout of Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 in November 2023 made headlines as one of the fastest finishes in the division.

Following that victory, Aspinall successfully defended his interim championship against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in Manchester last July. That rematch lasted just 60 seconds, extending Aspinall’s knockout streak to three and improving his UFC record to an impressive 8-1.

Despite his rapid rise, Aspinall has not fought since his fight with Blaydes, as anticipation for a unification bout with Jon Jones prolonged. With Jones’ retirement, Aspinall officially became the undisputed heavyweight champion, yet no dates or opponents have been announced for his first defense.

Potential Contenders Await First Title Defense Announcement

The heavyweight division now awaits Aspinall’s next move, with contenders eager to challenge the new champion. Brazilian fighter Jailton Almeida, currently ranked fifth, has publicly called out Aspinall to set up a fight. Meanwhile, Ciryl Gane, the division’s top contender, remains unbeaten since his last contest in December and has yet to be scheduled for a bout.

As this situation unfolds, the UFC faces pressure to manage the heavyweight division more carefully and provide clarity for the fans and fighters alike.