Tom Aspinall Says He Was Barred from UFC 309 News Conference

British interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has revealed he was barred from attending the UFC 309 news conference held in New York on Thursday. Despite being a major topic of interest among fans, the event’s focus remained on the headline bout between reigning champion Jon Jones and veteran Stipe Miocic.

The crowd at Madison Square Garden erupted with chants of “Tommy, Tommy”, showcasing their support for Aspinall and adding to the tension. However, Jones, 37, has consistently deflected questions about facing the 31-year-old Briton and expressed visible irritation. Earlier this week, Jones used an expletive when speaking about Aspinall and urged fans to stop chanting his name during the press conference.

“I asked to be at the press conference and I was told no,” Aspinall disclosed on the UFC’s weigh-in show. “I was trying to go but I got blacklisted.”

UFC President Dana White has stated that the winner of Saturday’s title clash should face Aspinall. However, Jones has pushed back against this notion, claiming a fight against the interim champion “does nothing for my legacy”.

Aspinall earned his interim title by defeating Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich at short notice last year after Jones pulled out of his planned bout with Miocic due to injury. Yet, instead of setting up a unification match with Aspinall, Jones was booked to face the 42-year-old Miocic, a former heavyweight champion.

In a lighthearted jab to prompt a response, Aspinall even bought his dog a toy rubber duck after fans joked that Jones was “ducking” him. Despite this, Jones’ irritation has continued. The American fighter walked out of a TNT Sports interview before it commenced, reportedly unwilling to face more questions about Aspinall.

Aspinall confirmed to TNT Sports on Friday that he has requested an in-cage confrontation with the winner of the Jones-Miocic fight but is still awaiting a response from the UFC.

As anticipation builds, the question remains whether a future clash between Jones and Aspinall will materialize, or if Jones’ reluctance will continue to sideline the British fighter from a high-profile unification bout.