“Both guys took the fight on short notice, both guys have heavy striking, and either one of them could have won, but luck smiled on Aspinall this time,” the organization’s head said at a press conference following UFC 295. “I was told today that Aspinall was actually on vacation when he got the call. It’s a crazy business with a very short window of opportunity.”
“When a big opportunity comes along you have to grab it, especially in our business where anything can happen. Jon Jones was supposed to defend the belt against Stipe Miocic but got injured – you just can’t predict that. So if an opportunity comes up and you’re not injured, you grab it”
According to White, he’s heard rumors that the British fighter has yet to show his best in the octagon.
“Obviously Tom had a great performance tonight, but I’ve heard amazing things about this guy – he’s an absolute beast and he’s a beast in the gym and he tears up anyone who stands up to him. And he knows how to take a punch – he missed a couple of good punches tonight and stood his ground. The people around him and know him well have a lot of faith in this guy. He had an unbelievable performance and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.”
The UFC head also responded to a question about whether Tom Aspinall could make an interim title defense without waiting for Jon Jones’ return and his fight against Stipe Miocic.
“I don’t know, we’ll see how the situation develops. He took the fight on short notice, obviously looked great and made a lot of money in a minute and a bit. We’ll see how it plays out.”