Heavy lift: Can Aspinall carry the UFC's heavyweight division with Jones retired?

After a rare week off, the UFC is back in action this weekend with a heavyweight main event between Derrick Lewis and Tallison Teixeira at UFC Fight Night from Nashville, Tennessee (9 p.m. ET, prelims at 6 p.m. on ESPN/ESPN+).

It's a timely showcase, as news of former heavyweight champion Jon Jones' retirement still feels fresh within the MMA community. Jones, 37, is the greatest of all time, and his retirement is well-deserved -- even if the way he opted to handle the end of his career is still somewhat puzzling. By drawing out his decision for six months, only to not fight Tom Aspinall, Jones left the sport in a cloud of disappointment. He has expressed interest in fighting on the proposed 2026 White House card, and UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Wednesday on "Full Send Podcast" that Jones is back in the anti-doping testing pool.

While we wait to see what Jones' next act brings, the show goes on. Aspinall (15-3) has been elevated from interim to undisputed champion and has said he expects the UFC to announce his first title defense soon. Meanwhile, Lewis (28-12), a 10-year veteran and fan favorite, will square off with one of the division's best up-and-comers, 25-year-old Teixeira, who has finished each of his eight professional opponents in the first round.

There are big questions surrounding this division as it moves on from Jones. Let's reset the weight class and take stock of the stars, the depth and future contenders ahead of this weekend's headliner.

With Jones retired, is there anyone on the UFC roster who poses a serious threat to Aspinall's title?

This is MMA -- and heavyweight MMA at that. Every contender in this division has one-punch knockout power. Historically, this has been the hardest title to defend in the UFC, because in a sense, everyone is a threat.

With that disclaimer out of the way, no, there are no obvious threats to Aspinall right now.

Aspinall already has beaten three of the top six in ESPN's divisional rankings (Curtis Blaydes, Alexander Volkov and Sergei Pavlovich) inside the first round. Aspinall's résumé is one reason Jones' retirement is so disappointing. Fans don't get the megafight they wanted, and there aren't obvious barnburners to make up for it.

One more bit of bad news for the field: Aspinall is one of the youngest elite heavyweights on the UFC roster. So if the current crop of talent struggles to offer him a challenge, don't expect the undefeated challenge of age to have its say, either. Aspinall's dominance (seven first-round finishes in nine UFC appearances) might be around for some time.

Now for some glass-half-full analysis: Ciryl Gane's game has holes, but he absolutely has the raw talent and physical attributes to give Aspinall a run for his money. He needs to level up his skill set and mental game, but if he reaches his full potential, we could see Aspinall vs. Gane become one of the great rivalries in heavyweight history.

What fights need to be made in 2025 to reignite the heavyweight division?

Aspinall vs. Gane is a fantastic matchup that will gain steam, should the UFC book it next. But the one that would really restart this division -- which, if we're honest, has been stagnant for some time -- is Aspinall vs. Alex Pereira.

There's a reason Jones moved up to heavyweight in 2023 following a long light heavyweight championship run. He saw an easy window to capture a second belt. It was smart business for Jones then, but his retirement throws the division right back to a low point. The UFC could change that narrative by booking a "superfight" between Aspinall and Pereira. The problem is Pereira, a former champion at middleweight and light heavyweight, is undersized and has his own business left at 205 pounds.

So what else would drum up excitement? If Lewis gets a knockout this weekend in Nashville, there will be fan appetite for Aspinall vs. Lewis. It wouldn't make sense from a rankings perspective, as Lewis is ranked No. 9 by the UFC, but I wouldn't mind seeing that matchup. The 40-year-old probably doesn't have too many fights left. Would the UFC accelerate the veteran's path to a title shot? We've seen worse for the sake of promotion.

Does the lack of depth at heavyweight affect how Aspinall's reign will be viewed?

The unfortunate answer: How can it not? Jones is retired but still a part of this conversation, as he's the one who just vacated the undisputed title. Jones earned his status as "greatest of all time" through excellence, but it certainly didn't hurt that he came along as a light heavyweight at a time when the division was full of big names. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, Daniel Cormier, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Glover Teixeira, Alexander Gustafsson, Stipe Miocic -- these are massive names. Aspinall's résumé will pale in comparison when it comes to household names, and there's nothing he can do about that.

What he can do is continue to starch his opposition in Round 1. The expectation of a first-round stoppage is an impossibly high bar to clear on a regular basis -- except that's exactly what he's done. He has needed a second round to finish an opponent in one of his 15 wins. If he continues to post those kinds of results, his record will stand out, even without the big names.

And Aspinall will receive some credit as the man who retired Jones without ever needing to fight him.

Can Teixeira, 25, compete for a heavyweight belt by 30?

Almost certainly, considering the lack of depth at heavyweight and the possibility of Aspinall running through a long list of contenders in short order. The division will need new faces such as Teixeira to step up, and step up fast. "The next big thing" will show up at heavyweight eventually, hopefully sooner rather than later. Maybe it'll be Teixeira on Saturday.