Tom Aspinall Could Crossover Into Boxing

UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall’s father, Andy Aspinall, has left the door open for his son to have a boxing match.

The news comes as Aspinall makes the first defense of his title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 on October 25 after becoming the full champion once Jon Jones vacated and retired in June. The potential move to boxing would be driven by the financial opportunities that are available. Several MMA fighters such as Conor McGregor have crossed over, as he earned $100 million for his Floyd Mayweather fight. Tom’s father, Andy Aspinall, has not ruled that out.

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"He’ll have a fight now and hopefully he’ll have a fight January and hopefully I’d like him to headline a card in England if he wants to do that again. And then just see what he wants to do from that. If he’s not bothered about the money, I’d love him to have a very highly paid boxing match for the money.

"The money’s there and I don’t see why somebody as talented as Tom shouldn’t have a piece of that money when the boxers are getting a hundred times more, more than a hundred times more. The UFC ain’t paying that type of money. If they would, it would be great and he could get the money, but I think these one percent of people who are very, very good should get paid.

"Tom’s money, some people say it’s good, compared to a [soccer] player, an American footballer who we’ve talked to when we’re in America, he’s earning a tiny fraction of what they’re earning and he’s one of the best in the world at doing what he does and not getting paid enough. And it’s very dangerous, so when he’s got enough to get out of it, I’d say get out of it," Andy Aspinall said

Options

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An incredibly lucrative option for Aspinall is former unified heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua. A fight between the two would be a massive all-British showdown. Joshua is a household name and a massive pay-per-view draw in the UK. While he may not be a world champion at the moment, his resume is full of high-profile names, and he consistently fights in front of sellout crowds. For Aspinall, a fight with Joshua would not only offer a huge payday but would also be a serious test of his boxing skills.

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Another albeit less likely, option would be a crossover rematch with Francis Ngannou. While Ngannou is no longer in the UFC, his impressive boxing debut against Tyson Fury and his power-punching credentials make him a viable boxing opponent. A fight with Aspinall would pit two of the hardest-hitting heavyweights against each other. Both men have a reputation for knockout power, and a matchup would be a guaranteed explosive event. 

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