Tom Aspinall’s boxing dreams are on the radar, and a high-stakes boxing matchup is the kind of move many fans anticipate. Could a shift to boxing be in the UFC heavyweight champion’s near future? This topic has been raised repeatedly by Aspinall and his father-coach Andy, who have both suggested boxing offers a more lucrative path. In a fresh video on his YouTube channel, shot during a training session with Tommy Fury, Aspinall opens up about what a boxing stint might entail.
He’s blunt about the odds of becoming a world champion in boxing, noting that the time and life dedication required would be immense. “I’d never be a world champ,” he says. “I wouldn’t try and be a world champion. You need to dedicate your whole life, don’t you? I’ve spent my whole life in MMA, and I’m almost 33. At that age, chasing a boxing world title would be unrealistic.” Yet he envisions a handful of marquee clashes, not just a string of novice bouts. He hints at pursuing a few big, name-brand fights—perhaps even a bout against a fellow MMA fighter—“you know what I mean? [Ngannou], yeah, I think that’d be good.”
Ngannou’s recent transition from UFC to boxing—claiming well over $30 million from bouts against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua after leaving the UFC—offers a blueprint for Aspinall. Ngannou’s path demonstrates how a successful boxing jump can reshape a fighter’s financial trajectory and visibility. For Aspinall, the logical stepping stone remains completing his remaining UFC commitments, of which there are two fights left on his contract.
“I mean, I’ve got fights in the UFC to do first,” he acknowledges. At the same time, the broader landscape remains unsettled. Many UFC champions have publicly pondered switching to boxing, drawn by the larger paydays in the ring. The economic calculus is a recurring hurdle: boxing can offer substantial earnings in a single bout, while a long UFC tenure often yields comparatively slower pay growth. Some observers point to the compensation gap as a core reason behind these conversations, a dilemma that the sport has yet to resolve in a satisfying way for many fighters.
So, will the UFC re-sign him under terms that could entice him to stay, or does this interview foreshadow the twilight of Aspinall’s era as the UFC heavyweight champion? The debate hinges on how much leverage fighters have to secure premium terms and whether the organization will adjust its pay scales to retain its top talents.
Would you favor keeping Aspinall in the UFC at a top-tier deal, or see his boxing ambitions as a natural and exciting next chapter for a fighter of his caliber? Share your thoughts on where his career should head next.
