Clearest hint yet that Tom Aspinall-Jon Jones superfight is ON!

The 31-year-old from Atherton, who regularly trains at Wigan's Robin Park, has been desperate for a unification bout with heavyweight champion Jones for almost 18 months.

Aspinall became interim champion in November 2023 when he demolished Sergei Pavlovich inside the first round at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

He took the fight at days' notice after Jones had suffered a serious injury in training ahead of his scheduled defence against Stipe Miocic.

Jones has since fought - and beaten into retirement - Miocic, but has continued to make disparaging comments about Aspinall and his credentials.

For his part, Aspinall has fought only once since becoming interim champion, when he dismantled Curtis 'Razor' Blaydes inside a minute in Manchester last July.

Talks over what would be an historic unification bout have stepped up in recent weeks, and Aspinall certainly fanned the flames with his behaviour at the weekend, when the UFC returned to London.

He posted a photo of himself, his dad Andy and the UFC's Chiefs Business Officer Hunter Campbell to his Instagram on Saturday.

The accompanying caption, which included looking eyes and handshake emojis read: 'Stay tuned'.

UFC chief Dana White, who has repeatedly stated the fight will happen, also confirmed he believes a deal is imminent.

“It’s going to happen," he told TNT Sports. “It’s done, but it’s not done. Not done enough to sit right here now and announce it and give you a date. But the fight’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of getting it signed now. If we pull this off and actually make the fight, announce it and start leading up to it, this will be the biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history.”

Aspinall was ringside for Jones’ most recent outing against Miocic last November, and he said the experience only reiterated his belief that the unified title will be heading to the UK.

And the way the fans reacted whenever Aspinall's face was shown on the big screen - while ignoring Jones' post-fight call for a defence against light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira - showed public opinion is with the Brit.

"It's been great, and I've not had to do anything to push it," said Aspinall. “I've already spoken to the UFC top brass, I'll be speaking to them again, but in my opinion - and obviously I'm biased - this would be the biggest fight in history. It's what the people want...and it's what I want.

"When Jon Jones was doing his speech at the end of the fight, I looked straight over to the UFC top brass, Dana and Hunter, and both of them pointed at me and winked at the same time. To me, that says there's something big in the pipeline.

"This is the biggest fight out there, and if that doesn't interest Jon Jones, then I don't know what else we can do. Everybody knows this is the fight to make, this is the fight the people want to see, this is the fight the UFC bosses want...everyone knows this is the fight that has to happen."