Latest news with #HunterCampbell
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tom Aspinall's coach erupts on UFC: ‘I can't think of a worse way' to announce him as champion
After decades of training, which forced him to undergo 24 knee surgeries and two disc replacements along with a litany of other injuries, Andy Aspinall was understandably a bit underwhelmed when his and son Tom's odyssey to become heavyweight champion of the world ended with a phone call around midnight in England this past Saturday night. 'I found out from Tom,' Aspinall explained to Uncrowned. Advertisement 'At the same time Tom was calling me to tell me that Hunter [Campbell] had told him, Hunter text me saying, 'Dana [White] has just announced that Tom is the champ' — which was the same message he had sent Tom.' 'I sent a message back to Hunter saying, 'I can't think of a worse way you could have done it'. I just think it's, I don't know if pathetic is the word — I just feel they didn't think about it. For me, the heavyweight championship of an organization is quite a big thing and I don't think Tom deserved to find out at a press conference in the middle of the night.' 'I can't think of a worse way to do it, maybe if they had've woke us up to tell us it would've been worse,' he added. 'We just happened to be awake at the time. It's poor man management of Jones and Tom. I like the personnel at the UFC, but for me, they just don't do things right sometimes. Of course it's a massively successful business, but I think something like that deserved more thought after everything we've been through with this.' The rumor mill has been swirling with options for Aspinall's first title defense. Names like Alex Pereira and even PFL's Francis Ngannou have been floated as possibilities. Advertisement Looking at the situation logically, Andy Aspinall — the longtime head coach of Tom — agrees with the masses who believe Ciryl Gane is UFC's most likely avenue for the milestone bout. 'It's just another fight," he said. "If I think about it logically, Ngannou's under contract with somebody else so it's not going to be him. [Jailton] Almeida is ranked No. 6, he keeps saying he wants to fight, but it's probably not going to be him. [The heavyweights ranked] five, four, three and two — Tom's already fought and beat them. 'So it's probably going to be Ciryl Gane, who I feel doesn't really deserve to fight Tom because he hasn't beat a good grappler. He's been given two title fights and he's lost them both. I just don't know if he's the right person, but maybe he's the logical fight to make.' Despite his son being crowned champion, Andy Aspinall won't forget the frustrating situations he's had to deal with over the past 19 months as a coach. From taking short-notice title fights to being forced to the sidelines as Jones' figured out his next move, the motivation of his fighter has been tested more than ever throughout the uncertainty. Advertisement 'As soon as [Jones] got injured and said he needed a year off before he fought Stipe [Miocic], he should have stepped aside then,' said the elder Aspinall. 'It didn't happen, so we had to wait a year for him to fight Stipe, and that was a bit of farce because they both looked out of shape and slow. We had a meeting with Hunter and Dana after that and they said, 'You're next.' The only thing Tom said was that he didn't want to be Michael Chandlered and they assured him he wouldn't be. They said it would probably happen at International Fight Week. What played out then was a situation where we weren't kept in the loop about anything — all we were told is, 'We're going to get it done.'' 'We've gone from fighting on two weeks' notice for an interim title to defending an interim title, which doesn't make sense at all. We took the fight in Manchester [at UFC 304] to avenge what happened against [Curtis] Blaydes and then they asked us to be backup fighter even though we all knew nobody would take the fight. We've never stopped training, but this period really tested Tom's motivation, and that's a worrying thing in this line of work where you're sparring massive men who are trying to take your head off. Not to mention the amount of paydays he's missed out on. That's the name of the game, he's a prizefighter. It's been a very frustrating time.' Tom Aspinall spent the majority of the past two years watching and waiting for Jon Jones. (Chris Unger via Getty Images) In his first statement as the undisputed heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall guaranteed that he would be an active champion. As far as his father is concerned, he is the best combat sports athlete on the planet, and if the UFC give him the schedule he is asking for, he will prove it to the watching world. Advertisement 'He's 32 now, but if you look at his ring time it's been nothing. Every time he fights he's just knocking people over," he explained. "He's always been able to do that, he's always been a really good finisher. Speaking to his training partners over the last year has told me that he has only become better at that. He's kicking harder, he's hiding things more efficiently and he's physically improved leaps and bounds. 'I can see that he's better than ever, but as we always say with heavyweights, they are massive men wearing tiny gloves and one shot can put anyone out. Skill-wise, there is no one near him. If you took four different combat sports and you made everyone compete in each one for 15 minutes, it would prove that Tom is the best combat sports athlete on planet earth.' And what if Jones suddenly becomes interested in the bout following the champion's first defense, as many predict he will? 'I wouldn't believe him,' replied Andy Aspinall. Advertisement 'Here's the thing, if Tom fights Ciryl Gane, and it's a bit competitive, they go the distance and Tom wins, I think Jon will want the fight. But here's my question: If Tom is the champion, does that enable me as his manager to ask for $20 [million] or $30 million? Should I ask for a new contract where we get $35 million because time's moved on and everyone is getting paid a bit more? Should I hold out for massive money and then tell the UFC we want six months to prepare [like Jones]? 'We could just play a game with him the way he's been doing with us, having him sit there and not earn any money. Not allowing him to fight to prove he's a great fighter and just not allowing him to do what he wants him to do. "Does that answer your question?'
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Team Makhachev Reveals UFC's Power Play to Elevate Ilia Topuria
Team Makhachev Reveals UFC's Power Play to Elevate Ilia Topuria originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As Islam Makhachev gears up for a move to welterweight, questions surrounding his lightweight exit continue to stir. Many expected him to face the rising Ilia Topuria in a blockbuster title clash—but that fight never materialized. Now, a new revelation from within Makhachev's camp offers a deeper look into why the bout was bypassed. Advertisement In a conversation captured by Adam Zubayraev and shared by Red Corner MMA, Umar Nurmagomedov—Makhachev's teammate—shared surprising insight. Islam MakhachevGetty Images He revealed that UFC executive Hunter Campbell traveled to Dagestan to personally convince Makhachev to move up in weight so that Topuria could take over as the new lightweight champion. 'He [Hunter] came to see Islam, and they wanted Islam to move up. They want to make Topuria the champ at 155. They believe he can really sell fights,' Umar said. 'Islam doesn't want to give up his belt — he wants to fight at 155 too. Islam can take the 170 title, then return to 155 and hold both belts.' The comments have left fans confused and speculating about UFC's intentions. One post summed it up: 'Lemme get this straight … Hunter came to Dagestan to convince Makhachev to go up? But not fight the BIGGEST FIGHT the UFC can make with him and Topuria?' Others questioned the terms: 'Seems like Makhachev declined the fight then was FORCED to go up…' 'Islam isn't active enough to defend both and I'm sure they gave him a choice either vacate and move up or stay at 155 and fight Topuria'. With tensions simmering between both camps and the storyline only heating up, fans can only hope the fight eventually gets made. When the dust settles on UFC 317—and again when Makhachev squares off with Jack Della Maddalena—we might finally get some clarity. If the stars align, maybe Dana White and the UFC will circle back to the lightweight showdown fans actually want. Until then, all we can do is watch, wait, and keep the Twitter fingers ready. Advertisement Related: Ilia Topuria Sends a Blistering Warning to Rising UFC Star Related: UFC Champion Shares Hard Truth About Jon Jones: 'It's a Responsibility' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Fresh Alexander Volkanovski revelation could provide hint at UFC return date
Alexander Volkanovski could be in line for an October return to the cage due to a combination of personal matters and a reshuffled UFC schedule. Volkanovski had been linked to a featherweight title defence against Mexico's Yair Rodriguez in September, at a Mexican-centric pay-per-view at Arena Guadalajara on 13 September. However, the arena has faced construction issues, meaning the UFC's 'Noche' event will now take place in San Antonio, Texas, and will be a standard Fight Night rather than a pay-per-view. Instead, a pay-per-view will take place on 4 October in Las Vegas. And that could mark Volkanovski's return, with the Australian having said September would have proved difficult in any case, due to the expected birth date of his next child. 'What's next for me? Nothing's too clear,' Volkanovski told UFC Australia & New Zealand. 'There's a lot of moving parts. Obviously before, I was thinking it's going to be Movsar [Evloev], but I think he's fighting. He mentioned him fighting [this summer]. 'Hearing Yair's name getting mentioned a fair bit, just the date of September has... you know... but that's just probably not the best date. Obviously, I'm having a baby that month, so if we could work around that, that would be better. 'So, we'll just see what's happening. Again, a lot of moving parts. We're planning on having a chat with the boss Dana [White, UFC president] and Hunter [Campbell, UFC CBO] very soon, so we'll see what's going on.' Volanovski, 36, regained the featherweight belt in April, recovering from a knockdown to outpoint Diego Lopes. Volkanovski had previously lost the title in February 2024 after a long reign, suffering a knockout by Ilia Topuria. Topuria vacated the title this February, however, and is now preparing to fight Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight belt. As such, Volkanovski and Lopes were paired in a clash for the vacant featherweight strap. Volkanovski's first reign, which began in December 2019, saw the Aussie retain the belt five times. His final successful title defence in fact came against Rodriguez in July 2023, as Volkanovski dominated and stopped the 32-year-old, who was interim champion at the time. Many fans have expressed frustration at Rodriguez being linked to another title shot, and against Volkanovski specifically, given the Mexican is only 1-1 since his first bout with 'Alexander The Great'. However, with Topuria leaving the 145lb division and Evloev saying he will not be fighting for the belt next, Rodriguez is seemingly the only viable challenger at the moment. No 1-ranked Max Holloway is scheduled for a trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at lightweight in July, and he is expected to stay at that weight going forward. Furthermore, Holloway has already fought and lost to Volkanovski three times.
Reuters
02-06-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Maycee Barber: ‘I owe an apology' to UFC after seizure, late dropout
June 2 - In an Instagram post Sunday, Maycee Barber commented on the last-minute cancellation of her UFC Fight Night main event against Erin Blanchfield due to a medical event. Barber did not confirm in her post that she suffered a seizure, but a video showed her being wheeled out of the arena on a stretcher. One of the photos she posted displayed her with medical sensors attached across her body. "Not what I had planned for a Sunday post," Barber wrote. "Thank you to everyone for the prayers & support I owe an apology to @ufc @mickmaynard2 @danawhite @seanshelby & @blanchfield_mma." In an interview with ESPN, Blanchfield said she was waiting for her walkout music Saturday night at UFC Vegas 107 when UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell told her backstage that Barber was medically unfit to fight. "No one said anything until Hunter came in and told me she was having a seizure and that she wouldn't be able to compete," Blanchfield said. Blanchfield blasted Barber, who had missed weight by half a pound the previous day. "She needs to look at another division," Blanchfield said. "She needs to fix her life. She needs to just fix herself. I think she's a complete mess in every aspect of her entire life." Barber, in her social media post, acknowledged Blanchfield's dig. "PS my life is not messy this is just a bad hand," Barber wrote. "We will get to the bottom of it all and be back." Barber was attempting to compete in a UFC fight for the first time since March 2024, in part due to other health scares. She was hospitalized for nine days in 2024 due to a combination of pneumonia, strep throat and a staph infection. Barber vs. Blanchfield was billed as a fight between top-five flyweight contenders. Blanchfield told ESPN she would not consider accepting another fight with Barber. --Field Level Media
Fox News
01-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
UFC's Erin Blanchfield rips Maycee Barber after opponent pulls out of fight over reported medical issue
Erin Blanchfield was set to fight Maycee Barber in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas over the weekend, but the bout was canceled moments before the bell was set to ring. Barber, who competes in the women's flyweight division, hadn't fought since March 2024 because of an illness that she said led to a near-two-week hospital stay. Barber missed weight on Friday by a half pound and was already set to give up 20% of her purse to Blanchfield, according to ESPN. Things took another strange twist Saturday night. Blanchfield said in the post-UFC Fight Night press conference that UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell told her Barber suffered a seizure minutes before she was set to walk to the Octagon, according to MMA Junkie. ESPN broadcasters said Barber suffered a medical issue. "I feel like I'm still in pretty much disbelief right now," Blanchfield added, via MMA Junkie. "I feel like I was in disbelief yesterday when she missed weight because we knew about this fight since January. You could've been 50 pounds overweight and still missed weight. "So, she missed weight, then she gets to Saturday. She gets to the locker room. I'm fully ready to go. She's supposed to be ready to go. Supposedly now she has all these health issues right when we're supposed to fight. I think it's pretty crazy. I think it's pretty unprofessional. I wouldn't want to fight her again." Barber posted and re-shared videos on her Instagram page hyping up her return to the Octagon. But she did not address any alleged medical issues on social media. Fox News Digital reached out to the UFC for comment. Blanchfield was asked if she had advice for Barber. "I don't know, she needs to look at another division," she said. "She needs to fix her life. She just needs to fix herself. I think she's a complete mess in every aspect of her entire life." Blanchfield is 13-2 in her MMA career. She defeated Rose Namajunas in November via unanimous decision. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
