Tom Aspinall was officially recognized as the UFC heavyweight champion in the post-fight press conference at UFC Baku. First, Ciryl Gane, the current No. 2 ranked contender, has quietly rebuilt his stock since his 2023 loss to Jon Jones at UFC 285.

Tom Aspinall has issued his first statement as UFC heavyweight champion. Moments after UFC CEO Dana White dropped the bombshell Saturday that Jon Jones informed the promotion of retirement, Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) reacted with a brief message to his Instagram followers.

UFC President Dana White said Saturday that Jon Jones, the UFC heavyweight champ and former light heavyweight champion, has retired. Tom Aspinall, the former interim champ, is now the UFC's heavyweight champion, White said.