Tom Aspinall claims the UFC hasn't invited him to UFC Freedom 250 at the White House
UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has opened up about not being invited to attend the interim heavyweight title fight at UFC Freedom 250.
As Tom Aspinall continues to recover from the severe eye injuries he sustained in his previous fight, he's now stated that the UFC hasn't invited him to the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House.
The reigning UFC heavyweight champion put his title on the line against former interim UFC heavyweight champ Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in October 2025. Multiple eye pokes from Gane rendered Aspinall unable to continue. The fight thereby ended in an NC (No Contest), and the Englishman retained his title.
Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane will fight for the interim belt amid apparent tension between Tom Aspinall and the UFC
Earlier this year, fight fans and experts alike expressed their concern when Tom Aspinall spoke about having to undergo multiple eye surgeries. Also, per a recent update he provided, he's unlikely to be cleared to return to sparring for a couple more months -- though he has resumed training.
Moreover, his new manager -- boxing promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport -- recently hinted that the MMA heavyweight isn't happy with his UFC pay. Hearn, who's been at odds with UFC boss Dana White and has criticized the latter's Zuffa Boxing venture, demanded that the UFC release Aspinall from his allegedly underpaid contract and let him earn lucrative sums elsewhere.
Amid this apparent tension between the British fighter and the UFC, the MMA promotion has booked an interim UFC heavyweight title fight between former two-division champion Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane.
The Pereira-Gane matchup will co-headline UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in Washington on June 14, 2026. The much-awaited showdown's victor would be expected to face Aspinall in a title unifier when the latter returns from his injury break.
Tom Aspinall says he hasn't been invited to UFC Freedom 250
During a recent appearance on the Fight Your Corner podcast, hosted by retired professional boxer Tony Bellew and his podcast co-host Charlie Parsons, Tom Aspinall addressed various topics.
Bellew asked whether Aspinall has any plans of being at the White House for UFC Freedom 250, to which the MMA star answered, "No. They've not asked me. No one's asked me yet. So..."
Well, Bellew chimed in and drew parallels between the given situation in the sports of MMA and boxing. He indicated that Aspinall, who's currently on a hiatus but still the reigning heavyweight champion, most definitely must be invited and publicly acknowledged by the UFC at the event comprising an interim heavyweight title fight.
Bellew suggested that Aspinall not being invited to attend, commentate, and/or analyze the interim heavyweight championship match, would be akin to boxing's lineal heavyweight champ, Oleksandr Usyk, hypothetically not being invited to a top-tier boxing heavyweight matchup.
Charlie Parsons weighed in and questioned Aspinall whether he feels disrespected by the UFC in this regard. Aspinall replied, "To be honest, I've never really thought about it until you asked me. No. I don't feel disrespected."
When asked why he doesn't feel disrespected, Aspinall simply asserted, "They should come to me." He further highlighted that he'd surely attend the event if the UFC asked him to, also signaling that he'd love to watch the fight in person and is going to be watching it at home anyway.
Watch Tom Aspinall discuss his stance on not getting an invitation to UFC Freedom 250 below (*comments at the 2:40-minute mark of the video):
