Jon Anik believes Tom Aspinall is in the highest pressure spot in recent UFC history.
The undisputed heavyweight champion will put his newly minted title on the line against Cyril Gane in the main event of UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. This will be Aspinall’s first appearance since he successfully defended his interim title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July 2024.
All the hype since that match was focused on a potential unification bout with Jon Jones, but Jones ultimately announced his retirement and vacated the title. Following this move, the UFC quickly promoted Aspinall to undisputed champion.
Aspinall now faces Jones as the strong betting favorite, but Anik sees the weight of the world resting on Aspinall’s shoulders as he joins Daniel Cormier and Laura Sanko in action at UFC 321.
“Well, forget the pressure that was put on him by his dear friend, my friend and broadcast partner Michael Bisping, who suggested that Tom Aspinall would not only go down as the greatest British mixed martial arts fighter of all time, but truly one of the greatest of all time,” Anik told MMA Fighting. “But because of the whole Jon Jones circus/exercise thing, his fan base has grown exponentially, right? Cyrill Gane has gotten a lot of opportunities. He’s a recognized heavyweight. He’s an outstanding striker. There seems to have been a drive to improve in the wrestling and grappling areas. But Tom Aspinall is oiled up. We’re back, Kenny Florian and I joined UFC Fight Pass this week, and… I’ve seen some of the early films and still see shadows of greatness.
“So, I think the pressure was always on Tom. But he didn’t win the Jon Jones fight and he’s now the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, so never mind the fact that he’s a 4-1 favorite in this crazy sport. Can you imagine if we all did a podcast or a show[next Monday]and talked about how Tom Aspinall isn’t the favorite? That would be crazy in any other sport, right? 4-1. Sports: Yeah, there’s a lot of pressure on Tommy, and I know he’s eating it like a shitty sandwich. …I mean, well, there were a lot of pressure spots, right? Of course, Khabib (Nurmagomedov) and Conor both have a rivalry, and I think back I liked the pressure Dustin was facing in his second fight with Conor McGregor. I mean, there’s a lot of pressure spots, right? You Dustin Poirier couldn’t afford to lose in his second fight against Conor McGregor, but Tom Aspinall can’t afford to lose at UFC 321. ”
While Gane will get a third chance at the undisputed title, the majority of the MMA community, including UFC CEO Dana White, feel that Gane was handed a gift by the judges in his controversial decision win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310 in December of this year. ‘Bon Gamin’ lost a decision to Francis Ngannou in his last two attempts, but with ‘The Predator’ leaving the UFC as a free agent and signing with the PFL, leaving the belt vacant, he now has the opportunity to welcome Jones to the heavyweight division.
Jones quickly submitted Gane to become a two-division champion.
There’s definitely pressure on Gaane to succeed in this fight, as this may be his last chance to be called the undisputed UFC champion. So while the pressure is certainly high on both sides and Aspinall still has plenty of time to get back to square one and reclaim the championship, Anik believes his loss to Gane could be etched in the memory for a long time when it comes to the greatest of all time debate.
“I mean, I’m an MMA fan, so I think the following came across in our conversations: If you haven’t thought about it, at some point last week I called my twin brother, who I talk to eight times a day, and said, ‘Hey, can you imagine if Tom Aspinall loses?'” Anik said. “Of course those conversations happened. I’m a die-hard fan. It’s insane. But anything can happen in mixed martial arts, and Cyril Gane is more than anything. He has a chance to be more than a puncher, but it would be crazy to step into that world.”
“But what’s the goal here in terms of how it affects Tom? Right? Because he’s going to achieve financial freedom. This guy’s going to make a ton of money. Even if quote-unquote, the UFC Even if he slips on a banana peel at 321, I expect him to come back and be the undisputed heavyweight champion again. I think he’s that good. I agree with Michael Bisping in terms of how great Tom Aspinall is. That’s why there’s so much pressure on him to hold serve, but I think he has a great chance to do it.”