Aspinall won the interim belt in late 2023, after regular-title holder Jones suffered an injury that ruled him out for a year. In Jones’s absence, Aspinall even defended the interim gold – an unusual move in the UFC – and retained it, before Jones returned and defended his own belt.

UFC boss Dana White has confirmed Jon Jones will return to the octagon this summer and defend his heavyweight title - but stopped short of confirming who his opponent would be. Jones hasn't entered the cage since late last year,

Dana White offers an update on Jon Jones expected return date with plans for him to finally face Tom Aspinall but the winner could potentially have a showdown against Alex Pereira awaiting them if he gets through Magomed Ankalaev on Saturday.