Daniel Cormier and Anthony Smith recently shared their belief that the victor of the Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 is destined to dominate the heavyweight division for years to come.
Aspinall is set to run it back with Blaydes to defend his UFC interim heavyweight championship in the co-headliner of the upcoming pay-per-view event, scheduled for this Saturday at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, United Kingdom.
The two fighters previously crossed paths two years ago in the main event of UFC Fight Night London in July 2022. In that bout, "Razor" emerged victorious with a 15-second TKO after the Brit sustained an unfortunate knee injury.
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Aspinall had hoped to unify his belt after knocking out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 with heavyweight champion Jon Jones. However, realizing that a bout with "Bones" is unlikely due to Jones's determination to face Stipe Miocic next, potentially the last fight of both their careers, Aspinall chose to pivot. Embracing the situation, he decided to defend his interim title instead.
According to Cormier and Smith, the upcoming rematch between Aspinall and Blaydes is set to determine the future kingpin of the heavyweight division...
Cormier Declares Aspinall vs Blaydes Interim Title Fight As True Championship Bout
During a recent video on the ESPN MMA YouTube channel, Cormier and Smith delved into the upcoming rematch between Aspinall and Blaydes. "DC" emphasized that the exceptional skill levels and challenging styles of both fighters make this bout the one that will ultimately reveal the true heavyweight champion.
There's a lot of confidence in Tom Aspinall as he holds the interim championship, which I believe is the actual heavyweight championship of the world," Cormier said. "Because I think he'll be more active than Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic.
"Lionheart" echoed Cormier's sentiment, suggesting that with Jones and Miocic nearing the end of their careers, Aspinall and Blaydes are poised to take over and dominate the heavyweight division for the foreseeable future.
I totally agree, and I think that the fact that these guys are fighting now almost solidifies a long title run in my mind," Smith said. "I think these two guys are the hardest matchups for each other. They're both big, they're both physical, both crazy athletic for their size, and both of them can wrestle… I think Curtis beats Aspinall, he kind of cruises for a little bit, and if Aspinall beats Curtis, he absolutely cruises for a little bit.
During the pre-fight press conference on Thursday, UFC CEO Dana White said that the winner of the Aspinall vs. Blaydes bout will go on to challenge the winner of the Jones vs. Miocic showdown, which is rumored to take place in November.