His name is Tom Aspinall and he is now the UFC interim heavyweight champion after knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in the first round of their contest at Madison Square Garden. 

With Aspinall taking the fight on two weeks notice, there were plenty of nerves amongst fans as to whether he would have enough time to prepare. However, this was not an issue come fight night when Aspinall landed two quick left-right combinations which stopped Pavlovich inside 69 seconds. 

As interim champion, Aspinall is now in a prime position to challenge for the full title currently held by Jon Jones, but it is still unknown as to whether this fight will ever materialise due to a number of factors. 

DAZN takes a look a three possible opponents for Aspinall after the biggest win of his MMA career so far. 

Jon Jones

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As previously mentioned, Tom Aspinall as interim champion is now in a prime position to challenge full title holder Jon Jones. But it looks unlikely that this fight will be next. 

Jones was originally set to feature in the main event of UFC 295 against Stipe Miocic, this fight was then cancelled after the defending champion picked up a pectoral injury in training camp. 

A long road to recovery is set to follow and once Jones returns, it's likely that the fight with Miocic will be rearranged, and if he emerges victorious, some are expecting to Jones to retire from MMA which would shut the door on what is one of Aspinall's 'dream' fights. 

Stipe Miocic

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If Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic is not happening anytime soon, perhaps Tom Aspinall going head-to-head with one of the greatest heavyweights is the next best thing. 

Miocic has not fought since losing the UFC heavyweight title to Francis Ngannou in 2021, and a fight with Aspinall could be a passing of the torch moment for the next generation of heavyweights. 

However, if Aspinall vs. Miocic is to be made, the idea of fighting for an interim title may not be enough to bring an end to Miocic's hiatus, therefore the UFC would need to strip Jones of his belt and put the vacant UFC heavywweight title on the line if this matchup was to happen. 

Curtis Blaydes

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Tom Aspinall's MMA career seemed to have been falling apart when he faced Curtis Blaydes last year in London after a knee injury 15 seconds into the first round rendered him unable to continue and Blaydes was given the win. 

Now Aspinall has a UFC title around his waist after making a successful comeback, there is a clamour for a UFC PPV to arrive on British shores once more and what better way to sell a homecoing than a quest for revenge. 

Blaydes is still ranked within the top five of the UFC's heavyweight rankings, therefore a fight against the American maybe just what Aspinall needs early next year as he looks to keep active while waiting for a shot at the full title.