Tom Aspinall and Leon Edwards serving as UFC champions may serve as the catalyst to finally bring the promotion back to England for a pay-per-view card in 2024.
UFC CEO Dana White teased plans for a massive card headed to England sometime this year with rumors swirling about a potential date in July. White didn’t announce any fights, although he hinted at Aspinall, Edwards or possibly both of them appearing on the card when the UFC returns to the United Kingdom.
“I have an English heavyweight champion and lots of other European stars. Two champs now out of England,” White told TNT Sports when referencing Aspinall and Edwards. “That’s another thing that was happening just recently, so we have these teams that build all their different pieces to the puzzle. Then we come together with me and I start trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together and I’m like this doesn’t fit here, that’s got to go. That’s how it all works.
“We had these fights where it’s like we’re going to do this where? No, we’re going to England. So we’re going to England. We’re coming and I got great fights lined up for the U.K. fans and I’m excited to get back there.”
An announcement about the UFC’s return to England could come at any time with White adding that final touches are being put on the event right now.
“Literally days [away from announcing the event],” White said. “We’re right there working on stuff. We’ve got some badass plans for England. [It will be a] numbered card, pay-per-view. A great one.”
As far as Aspinall and Edwards competing there, White didn’t get into any specifics but with the two champions hailing from England it’s entirely possible that one or both could headline the card.
With Aspinall holding onto the interim heavyweight title, he’s been anxious to get back in action, although he won’t have the opportunity to unify the belt with reigning champion Jon Jones still scheduled to clash with Stipe Miocic sometime this year.
That matchup was delayed after Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle that knocked him off the UFC 295 card this past November, which led to Aspinall getting booked in an interim title fight with Sergei Pavlovich.
White confirmed plans for Jones vs. Miocic are still in the works but he has no problem with Aspinall defending the interim title in the meantime.
“If you think right now it’s March, who knows, Jon Jones and Stipe because of the injury, who knows when they’ll fight,” White said. “It’s not right to let Tom to sit. If Tom wants to defend the title, we’ll absolutely do it.”
Ideally, White still holds out hope that Aspinall could eventually face either Jones or Miocic down the road but that won’t be his next fight.
“Jones is set to fight Stipe,” White said. “I hope the winner of that fight will fight Tom. Yeah, we’ll see.”
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