Tom Aspinall confirmed as backup for Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic at UFC 309

Tom Aspinall will be on standby as the backup for Jon Jones‘ title defense against Stipe Miocic, confirms Dana White.

The Brit has been angling for a fight against the heavyweight champion for what seems like a lifetime. Despite only holding interim gold, Aspinall sees himself as the true champion and wants to prove that against a man considered by many to be the greatest of all time.

The 31-year-old has been on a tear through the division. Aside from a freak injury, the powerhouse has won each of his eight fights under the UFC banner and has never been to a decision once in his career.

While his dream fight continues to pass him by, Tom Aspinall has been given a glimpse of hope from Dana White.

The UFC CEO confirmed that, should something happen to either Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic in the buildup to their fight, Aspinall will be called upon as a replacement.

“Yes [Aspinall is backup at UFC 309],” White said. “Tom Aspinall is next in line for anything that happens after this fight.”

Related: Jon Jones and Alex Pereira come to surprise agreement

Though Dana White believes otherwise, it is looking increasingly likely that Jon Jones will hang up the gloves win or lose against Stipe Miocic. The Hall-of-Famer has distanced himself from a fight against Aspinall on several occasions, leading fans to believe his time in the sport is close to an end.

‘Bones’ has long been hinting at retirement and sees his legacy fight with Miocic as the perfect opportunity to bow out of the sport on top. 

Confirmed last week, Jon Jones will head to Madison Square Garden to make his long-awaited return at UFC 309 on November 16. 

The card already has a handful of exciting matchups, with the action-packed rematch between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler taking up the co-main event slot.