Tom Aspinall is ‘not getting paid enough’ and should consider boxing fight in the not too distant future.
That’s according to his dad, Andy Aspinall, who has said he would ‘love’ the UFC heavyweight champion to enter the ring after he asserts his dominance in Dana White‘s promotion.
Aspinall was crowned the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion in June when White shockingly announced the retirement of MMA great Jon Jones.
He has since had his first title defence booked and takes on number one contender Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 321 on October 25.
The 32-year-old Mancunian has cemented his name as one of the UFC’s biggest stars in the last five years, scoring six first-round knockouts in his first nine bouts en route to the sport’s summit.
He has the chance to become one of the UFC’s greatest heavyweights if he can defend his belt multiple times in the next 12 months.
Andy, who has coached Aspinall since he was a child, was asked about his son’s future beyond the Gane fight, and laid out an ideal 12-month plan.
“He’ll have a fight now and hopefully he’ll have a fight January,” Andy said on Aspinall’s YouTube channel.
“I’d like him to headline a card in England if he wants to do that again and then just see what he wants to do from there… I’d love him to have a very highly paid boxing match for the money.
“The money’s there, and I don’t see why somebody as talented as Tom shouldn’t have a piece of that money when the boxers are getting a hundred times more, more than a hundred times more.”
Tom Aspinall’s dad hits out at UFC fighter pay
Andy then explained that he would like Aspinall to move into boxing, because the UFC aren’t currently paying him enough money.
“The UFC aren’t paying that type of money,” he added.
“If they would, it would be great and he could get the money, but I think these one per cent of people who are very, very good should get paid.
“Tom’s money, some people say it’s good, compared to a football soccer player.
“An American footballer who we’ve talked to when we’re in America, he’s earning a tiny fraction of what they’re earning and he’s one of the best in the world at doing what he does and not getting paid enough.
“And it’s very dangerous. So when he’s got enough to get out of it, I’d say get out of it.”
Tom Aspinall’s record in boxing
Boxing wouldn’t be unfamiliar territory for Aspinall, having already competed professionally in the sport.
Struggling to get a heavyweight bout under the Cage Warriors banner in 2017, Aspinall accepted a boxing fight and was successful on his debut, stopping Hungary’s Tamas Bajzath in the first round.
He has previously discussed the benefits of training with former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in the early to mid-2010s.
“I trained at Team Fury for about 18 months or two years every day,” he said in 2022.
“That experience was just fantastic. Before I trained there, I was in my early 20s and took it a bit too seriously.
“If I would make a mistake in a gym or in a fight, I would really take it to heart and get down on myself.
“Then, when I went over to train with the Furys, especially around Tyson, he would take it just as a sport and not too seriously.
“He would mess around a lot and really enjoy his training. It was nice to be around that. I learned a lot, technically.
“But really just seeing his approach and how much he does enjoy it and not take it too seriously, that rubbed off on me.”
Aspinall’s first heavyweight title defence takes place on October 25 at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena.
Also on the card, Alexander Volkov faces Jailton Almeida at heavyweight, with the winner likely to be in contention to challenge the winner of the main event for the belt next.
Brazilians Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern will lock horns in the co-main event on the night for the women’s strawweight title.