Tom Aspinall's teammate could face the wrath of UFC president Dana White following comments he made after UFC 321.
Aspinall's first fight as the undisputed heavyweight champion ended prematurely after he suffered a double eye poke.
As it was accidental from his opponent Ciryl Gane, the fight was declared a no-contest - but MMA fans remain hopeful that a rematch will take place in the near future.
Had Aspinall defeated Gane at UFC 321, he would have beaten six of the top 10 heavyweight fighters.
Advert
The latest addition to the UFC's top 10 is a close friend of Aspinall's, the Croatian Ante Delija, who stopped Marcin Tybura last month.
Aspinall and Delija are such good friends that the Briton said he would rather vacate his title than face his mate in the octagon.
On the ShxtsnGigs Podcast, Aspinall said: "My friend [Ante Delija] just got his first win in the UFC, and he’s in the top 10.
Advert
"He’s potentially 2-3 wins away from a title shot. If I’d never won a title, I would feel like we would have to fight because that’s my dream.
"But now I’ve done it, I’d be like, I’ll vacate it and he can have his time.
"I wouldn’t fight him - that’s my guy. I’ve won the title, I’ve done that, and I’ve got a few more in me before he’s gonna be up there anyway."
However, UFC president White was unhappy with Aspinall's attitude towards a potential future title bout with Delija.
Advert
"You know what I think about that before you even asked me," White told TNT Sports.
"I hate that. Many friends, relatives, have all fought each other before.
"Whether you're friends with somebody or you hate somebody, you're competing against them to see who the best is.
Advert
"But that's his decision. When you become world champion and if he defends his title and does whatever he does, to even think about vacating it because you don't want to compete against somebody is insane. But he's a grown man and that's up to him."
Delija returns to the octagon on Saturday to face Waldo Cortes-Acosta in Las Vegas.
Speaking ahead of his fight, the Croatian agreed with Aspinall's sentiment about their friendship.
He said: "He is a really really dear friend of mine and I do believe with that statement he really showed his character.
Advert
"I would also not fight against him for the belt."
It remains to be seen whether Aspinall would vacate his UFC title rather than face his friend, but for now, a rematch with Gane will be the priority.
Topics: UFC, Tom Aspinall, Dana White, MMA
James Taylor