Tom Aspinall’s return to the Octagon is officially set after the Englishman successfully made championship weight ahead of his first heavyweight title defense. UFC 321 will mark his comeback after 14 months away, his last fight being in Manchester, where he dominated Curtis Blaydes to defend his interim title. While fans expect Aspinall’s reign to usher in a new era for the heavyweight division, his father and coach, Andy Aspinall, doesn’t seem eager for his son to stay in MMA for too long. In a surprising revelation ahead of his clash with Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi, the 62-year-old gave a major hint about his son’s future.
Andy Aspinall Wants Tom Aspinall to Chase Big Boxing Paydays After Current UFC Contract Ends
For context, Aspinall will step into the cage on October 25th for just his 10th UFC fight. Since debuting in 2020, he’s built a reputation as a dominant force, holding the record for the shortest average fight time in UFC history at just two minutes and two seconds.
However, once his current contract expires, it appears Dana White and Hunter Campbell might face a tough challenge keeping him in the promotion. Andy Aspinall recently revealed that he doesn’t want his son to re-sign after his current three-fight deal ends.
Instead, he hopes to see his son transition to boxing, where the financial rewards are far greater. In an interview with RMC Sport Combat, the 62-year-old made it clear that he wants his son to move from MMA to boxing once his UFC contract ends.
“Boxing for sure. The money is more money. He has three more fights on the contract, and I don’t want to sign a new contract personally,” he said.
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Tom Aspinall’s father doesn’t want him to sign a new UFC contract — he wants him to switch to boxing instead! 🥊😳
“He’s got three fights left on his contract… I don’t want him to sign a new one.” — Tom’s father 👨👦
Via: @RMCSportCombat pic.twitter.com/Nl2a1AYHnw
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) October 24, 2025
In another interview with Jon-Bernand Kairouz, Andy Aspinall once again emphasized the financial motivation behind wanting his son to transition to boxing.
He said, “If you get into the top percentage of that sport, the UFC don’t pay anywhere near as much as boxing does… and I know from being around Tom every day — when he spars good boxers, he spars good.”
🥊 Andy Aspinall wants Tom Aspinall to step into the boxing world! 👀
“If you get into the top percentage of that sport, the UFC don’t pay anywhere near as much as boxing does… and I know from being around Tom every day — when he spars good boxers, he spars good.” 💰🔥
Via:… pic.twitter.com/DZEsmpUZpn
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) October 24, 2025
Andy’s stance is understandable, given the massive financial gap between boxing and MMA. Fighters like Conor McGregor and Francis Ngannou have made life-changing money after crossing over to the boxing world. McGregor famously earned over $100 million from his 2017 bout with Floyd Mayweather.
Ngannou, who made roughly $600,000 for his UFC title defense against Ciryl Gane, went on to pocket around $30 million from his fights with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. The allure of boxing isn’t limited to heavyweights.
Current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has hinted at trying his hand in the ring once his MMA run ends, and Ilia Topuria recently called out Terence Crawford for a potential boxing match, clearly chasing a major payday.
The State of the Current 265lbs Division Is Not Very Competitive for Tom Aspinall
Adding to Andy’s reasoning is the current state of the heavyweight division. With Jon Jones sidelined and Aspinall already having beaten most of the top contenders like Alexander Volkov and Sergei Pavlovich, the pool of fresh, high-stakes matchups is limited. If Aspinall defeats Gane, who is already fighting for the title a third time, there may be few exciting challenges left for him in the UFC.
Beyond business, Andy’s motives are deeply personal. As both Tom’s father, head coach, and manager, he’s repeatedly said that his ultimate goal is to see his son leave combat sports healthy. Boxing, in his eyes, could offer bigger paychecks with fewer fights, helping achieve that goal.
Still, negotiations in the coming year could get very interesting. With the $7.7 billion Paramount deal boosting UFC’s financial reach starting in 2026, the promotion might have the means to compete with boxing purses. That is, if Tom Aspinall remains the heavyweight king after his next three fights.
