After UFC Baku, Dana White made it official — Tom Aspinall was now the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion after Jon Jones announced his retirement. The English powerhouse, ranked #9 pound-for-pound, will defend his crown against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. But beyond the knockouts, Aspinall’s story is also told in ink, etched across his skin like chapters of a fighter’s life.

Each tattoo on his body is more than art; it’s armor. From mythical guardians on his back to Roman warriors on his chest, Aspinall’s tattoos reflect his journey, but what do they all mean? Let’s take a closer look at the man behind the ink.

Tom Aspinall’s Back Tattoo: The Foo Dog/Fu Lion Design

Aspinall had an amazing victory over Alexander Volkov in March 2022, during the UFC Fight Night. He then decided to get a huge back tattoo that covers his whole back and is pretty similar to the tattoo that his opponent also has. During an interview with the NY Post, he was asked whether he stole the tattoo idea from his opponent. He said, “Maybe I did; maybe I didn’t.” All in all, ‘Honey Badger’ wanted to get his whole body tattooed, even on his torso and chest, and decided to start with his back.

He got it done in the UK by Sean Crane. The tattoo is of a foo dog or fuu lion. The colorful artwork spans from the shoulder to the waist, bursting with blue, red, yellow, and white shades. It’s a guardian design drawn from Chinese Buddhism, where such lions are believed to ward off evil spirits and protect those they watch over.

The process was grueling. Aspinall spent 50 hours under the needle, divided across several sessions that stretched for months. He even kept it unfinished since his fight camp was starting, and he sat for 3 to 6 hours each session for this piece.  But his back isn’t the only canvas on which Aspinall tells his story. His arms, too, are a living map of transformation.

His Arm Tattoos: Japanese Calligraphy and Tribal Coverups

Tom Aspinall’s arms carry the ghosts of his teenage years,  a mix of early experiments and new beginnings. On his right arm, intricate Japanese calligraphy runs down his bicep. It’s believed to translate roughly to “Jiu-Jitsu,” a nod to the martial art that shaped his foundation. Wrapped around the ink are cloud patterns, birds, and a snake, all symbols of freedom, adaptability, and evolution,  traits that define Aspinall’s fighting style.

In a video on his YouTube channel, the champion once confessed, “So my first tattoo was, and it’s covered up now,  got my first tattoo when I was 15, by the way. This arm I had a tribal, that was here, I was still in school at the time, I used to wear a school uniform, used to pop under my uniform, I used to think I was the hardest man on Earth, walking about school with a tattoo popping out, so that was a tribal and then I got it covered with black”

“I’ve had a lot of bad tattoos over the years,” he laughed. “Still got some bad ones, but we’re trying to get through them slowly but surely.” For Aspinall, his arm tattoos reflect growth, from rebellious beginnings to thoughtful reinvention.

Tom Aspinall’s Chest Tattoo: The Coliseum Design

Across Aspinall’s chest stretches one of his most dramatic pieces, a Roman Colosseum scene, featuring gladiators battling outside a burning Rome. Fans on Reddit described it perfectly: “A gladiator outside of the colosseum in a burning Rome.”

The imagery fits Aspinall’s story almost too well. Like a gladiator, he steps into an arena where every mistake could mean defeat. The Colosseum tattoo represents not just combat, but legacy, a symbol of the warrior spirit and the timeless pursuit of greatness.

His Leg Tattoos and Other Body Art

His legs, like his arms, feature layers of old and new ink, a visual diary of a fighter growing up both in life and art. He also has galaxy stars, an anchor, and a bird on his left arm. He even has tattoos on his fingers and stars covering up his left bicep. He once declared that he was redoing all the tattoos on his arms. 

From mythical lions guarding his back to gladiators battling on his chest, his body reflects the balance between strength and vulnerability. As he prepares to defend his title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321, one thing’s certain: every line of ink carries a story of the man who is earning his place among the greats!