For the first time in a while, Tom Aspinall has options.

Recently crowned as the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight champion following the formal retirement of Jon Jones last week, has said he intends to be an active champion for as long as he holds the role; a position which comes in stark contrast to Jones who fought just twice at heavyweight before stepping away from the sport.

But that leaves one question: against who?

France’s Ciyrl Gane, twice an unsuccessful challenger to the heavyweight title, has been installed as the new number one contender following Jones’ retirement and Aspinall’s graduation to the undisputed title, while Alexander Volkov, Sergei Pavlovich, Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida make up the rest of the top five. The trouble is, Aspinall already holds victories over Volkov, Pavlovich and Blaydes, leaving Gane and Almeida — on the face of it at least — as the two most viable options.

And according to Aspinall, Gane might be the next man up.

“I have actually fought most of the top ten,” Aspinall said on the Diary of a CEO podcast, as noted by talkSPORT. “One of the guys I haven’t fought is a French guy called Ciryl Gane. That is a fight I was chasing a few times before. He was ducking and diving a little bit himself, so he is due a beating from me. I look forward to that.”

Another man in the firing line is Almeida, winner of 22 of his 25 career bouts and one of the division’s foremost submission threats.

“Couple more guys down the rankings: there is a Brazilian guy called Jailton Almeida, who I have not fought, and there is a guy I have already beaten called Alexander Volkov, who is doing really well for himself,” Aspinall explained. “There are a couple of up-and-coming guys who I have not mentioned as well, so there are some good fights to be made over the next couple of years.”