DANA WHITE has made a huge announcement on the fighting future of Tom Aspinall.
The Brit hasn’t set foot inside the octagon since defending his interim heavyweight title fight in blistering fashion against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in June.
Aspinall, 31, immediately called to be the backup fighter for undisputed champion Jon Jones‘ title defence against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on November 16.
And the Wigan warrior’s wish to be the replacement fighter for the Madison Square Garden main event has been granted by UFC headhoncho White.
When asked about the possibility of Aspinall being on standby in case either Jones or Micic can’t make their MSG melee, White said: “Yes.
“Tom Aspinall is next in line for anything that happens after this fight.”
Jones and Miocic, 37 and 42 respectively, were set to throw down last November in the main event of UFC 295.
But a torn pec muscle forced Jones out of the bout and led to the introduction of the interim title.
Jones’ loss was Aspinall’s gain as he obliterated Sergei Pavlovich in 64 seconds to win the interim strap and become only the third Brit to hold UFC gold.
Aspinall has been gunning for a unification bout with Jones ever since but the UFC have refused to deviate from their original plans for their former long-reigning light-heavyweight champion.
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And his hopes of ever sharing the cage with the consensus GOAT were dealt a huge blow last weekend when Jones suggested his next fight will be his LAST.
The Hall of Famer told Clocked N’ Loaded: “This is gonna be the last time [I fight].
“The last time, more than likely.”
Jones’ admission comes just weeks after White definitely claimed he’d stick around to face Aspinall.
He said: “Dislike him, whatever your beef is with Jon Jones, knock yourself out.
“There’s no way in hell that Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight Aspinall. That I guarantee you.”
The prospect of Jones walking away from the sport seeming doesn’t faze White, who won’t be making any hasty attempts to convince the legend to perform a U-turn.
The 55-year-old said: “Why speak to him after this event?”
“You’ve got to figure out what’s going to happen in this fight.
“See how this fight plays out and then we’ll go from there.”
A DAD whose son was badly injured in a hit-and-a-run crash claims he was ‘targeted’ by thieves trying to steal his £3,000 electric bike.
Bernie Price, 42, feared 14-year-old Israel died in the September 12 collision in Sheffield after a Toyota Rav 4 thundered towards him and his friends.
Israel, who had been on his Sur-Ron Light Bee X bike in the Holbrook Industrial Estate, suffered a dented skull, split chin, cuts across his body and a badly damaged right eye in the crash.
After the SUV first clipped one of the boys, it then “smashed” into Israel while he was sitting on top of a curb, looking at his phone, Bernie said.
The lad was left unconscious for around six minutes – and needed to spend four days in hospital after being rushed for emergency treatment in an ambulance.
Bernie, from Sheffield, now believes that his son was deliberately knocked to the ground by thieves attempting to take his bike.
The landlord said: “I know it wasn’t an accident because my son was on the curb, looking at his phone, seeing what time it was.
“So the guy that has done this has gone up onto the curb to target my son.
“The ambulance came within a few minutes. He was unconscious for about five to six minutes… He could have killed my son.”
Bernie said Israel was thankfully expected to make a full recovery.
But he felt Israel – an amateur boxer who is among the top fighters for his age and weight in the country – had been deeply affected by the incident.
He added: “He’s not himself, he’s not my cheerful son.”
Dad-of-four Bernie said he had left Steel City Boxing Gym, where he is also a trainer, on Thursday evening with Israel.
And following the session, the boy and his twin brother, Bernie Jnr., had gone to play on their bikes with some friends, later ending up at the Holbrook Industrial Estate.
Bernie, who is a born-again Christian, said he was driving back from a church service in Barnsley at around 9pm that evening when he got a frantic call.
And that’s when he found out to his horror that Israel had been hit by a car and was ‘laid out on the floor’ unconscious.
He said: “I’ve had a phone call off my son, Bernie Jnr. I didn’t think much of it, and he said, ‘Hurry up, get here, quick, Israel has been run over and we can’t wake him up.’
“I ran for my life and jumped in the car. Me and my wife just drove like crazy from Barnsley to Sheffield, assuming the worst.”
A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: “At 9.04pm on Thursday (12 September), we were called by the ambulance service to reports of a road traffic collision on New Street, Holbrook.
“It is reported that an unknown vehicle was involved in a collision with an electric bike being ridden by a 14-year-old boy, with a 16-year-old boy riding pillion. The unknown vehicle then left the scene.
“The 14-year-old boy was taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries. The 16-year-old boy received minor injuries in the collision and did not require hospital treatment.
“An investigation was launched, and officers are carrying out enquiries to identify the other vehicle involved in the collision
The dad was later told by the boys who saw the crash that a Toyota Rav 4 had been following them for some time before it smashed into Israel.
Bernie said: “They said to me, ‘Dad, there was a grey Rav 4 on an 09 reg, looking dodgy. It kept doing U-turns and floating around us.’
“Then, when it was 8.59pm, this Rav 4 has just come steaming up to the kids. It’s clipped the one lad and budged him off his bike.
“And then it went up a curb, because Israel was on a curb, and went into the back of him. And it’s smashed my son.”
Bernie added: “He [Israel] said to me, ‘Dad, my last memory was this, someone shouted, ‘move Israel.’
“‘I turned around and saw two headlights and heard a loud rev, and then I woke up in hospital.’ The driver just fled the scene and left.”
Bernie said Israel’s friends had called an ambulance soon after the crash, which had arrived rapidly and then rushed him to hospital.
The battered and bruised teen then had his numerous injuries assessed by medics.
Bernie said: “He had a brain scan. Thank God that came back clear, but there’s a dent in his skull.
“He’s got a split in his chin, his hands are cut, his legs are cut, and he’s got a really bad lump on his thigh.
“After his brain scan came back clear, his eye was the main priority because the hospital couldn’t get it open to look inside to see if he had sight.
“They tried for two days, but luckily, thank god, on Sunday evening they managed to give him some morphine for the pain, and they got in there and looked and said his sight is still there.”
Bernie has now asked anyone who has information about the incident to come forward and help with the police inquiry.
South Yorkshire Police said today they had launched an investigation into the hit-and-run crash.
A spokesperson said they believed a 16-year-old boy was riding pillion on Israel’s bike at the time of the crash, but he only sustained minor injuries.
And they are now carrying out extensive enquiries to identify the vehicle involved in the smash, which was previously described by onlookers as a grey Toyota Rav 4.
STACEY Solomon is cutting back on her work projects after becoming one of the nation’s most loved social media stars.
The Loose Women panelist tonight shared an emotional message with her followers about her decision to step back from one of her roles.
In the heartfelt announcement, Stacey, 34, shared her gratitude for the opportunity and reflected on the incredible journey she’s had, while saying goodbye.
She said: “Today has been a wonderful but emotional day as I shot my LAST EVER collection for InTheStyle.
“I have loved every single second of being able to design & create clothing with the most incredible team & literally bring my dreams to life,” she wrote.
However, Stacey said her priorities shifted this year.
The star, who gave birth to her fifth child last year, said she has been focusing on balancing her career with her growing family.
Stacey added: “Throughout this year I’ve thought a lot about work/family balance & things that have needed to be prioritised.
“So I’ve decided to say goodbye to In The Style and other things so that I can give more of myself back to my family.”
She went on: “I’m so proud of everything we created & achieved, from making garments out of offcuts, using recycled materials, to our sizing ranges & everything in between. It’s been a huge learning insight for me and a part of my career I’ll remember forever.”
Stacey also reassured fans that the final collection will be something special.
She added: “We wanted to end on a high, so this last collection has every bit of love we could possibly give it & it only felt right to end it in my favourite season.
“Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our collections & showing them so much love. You have made this whole journey for me & I’ll never forget it & never take it for granted.”
She also paid tribute to the In The Style team and said: “Thank you to everyone at In The Style for this magical experience. Here’s to the last ever collection. To the moon & back…”
Stacey and husband Joe Swash, 42, have become one of the nation’s most loved celebrity couples thanks to their down-to-earth personalities and hilarious and reals on Instagram.
As a result of their relatable social media platforms, the pair have bagged a number of lucrative career opportunities, boosting that all-important net worth.
And with Stacey in particular having hosted Loose Women and Sort Your Life Out, it appears that the mum-of-five is a force to be reckoned with.
Early in 2024, it was revealed that the DIY savvy mum, who shot to fame following The X Factor, was making a whopping £3 million a year, averaging out to around £58,000 a week.
As a result, Stacey was able to splash out a massive £1.2million on Pickle Cottage – and Joe didn’t put in a penny.
It was reported that Stacey, who is estimated to be worth around £5 million, solely stumped up the cash for their Tudor-style Essex property, which is set in 2.5 acres and boasts an outdoor swimming pool.
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Okaloosa County is constructing a 4-mile multi-use path on Okaloosa Island, offering a paved surface safely located away from US 98 between the Brooks Bridge and Marler Bridge.
The post Developer Jay Odom donates $50,000 toward 4-mile multi-use path on Okaloosa Island appeared first on Get The Coast.