Tom Aspinall on family life as a UFC champion, Georges St-Pierre and wanting to face Stipe Miocic

Aspinall has secured finishes in all 14 of his wins as a professional

After beating Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden in New York last month, a whirlwind 24 hours followed for Tom Aspinall.

As his social media following skyrocketed, Aspinall got back to his hotel at 3am, where with the bar closed, a "very clever team-mate" had remembered to bring some celebratory beers.

Carrying his new belt, Manchester's Aspinall then went searching in Times Square for food, where he took a picture with his mentor and father Andy, before heading back for "a couple of hours sleep".

The next morning, a relaxed Aspinall had breakfast, with his team telling him "I don't think you quite realise what you've just done".

They were right, because it wasn't until Aspinall was on the plane back later that evening that it sunk in.

"I had some alone time on the plane and I was just like 'that was big'," Aspinall, 30, tells BBC Sport.

"It kind of hit me that I've just come and won the interim title on two weeks' notice and beat the scariest guy in the UFC."

Aspinall took the fight on short notice after an injury to champion Jon Jones forced his bout with Stipe Miocic to be cancelled.

Lacking preparation time, Aspinall revealed after the fight that he had hurt his back in the week leading up to it, and so had been unable to train.

Aspinall describes the circumstances as "dire", but remarkably knocked out Russia's Pavlovich - an opponent who went into the fight with six straight first-round finishes - inside 69 seconds.

He was still processing the achievement when he arrived home to his wife and three children the next morning.

"I got back at 8am. Helped get the kids ready for school and took them to school at 8.30. There was no in-between. Straight from winning the title - school run," said Aspinall.

"My kids weren't too bothered, you know [that I was champion]. But yeah, I love that. What was important to them was that their dad was home.

"One of my youngest, because I've got four-year-old twins, he just picked the belt up and dropped it straight away and nearly smashed it. I was like 'oh my god'."

'I'm a big hit at the school gates'

Within two weeks, Aspinall has been thrust into the lifestyle of a champion, receiving congratulations from celebrities such as Gordon Ramsay and Noel Gallagher, and being invited to Manchester United's Old Trafford.

Aspinall's achievements have won over MMA fans, but it is his humility, cheeky humour and relatability that is winning the hearts of the wider public.

"I'm a big hit at the school gate these days. Mums, dads and kids love to come over and speak, but I don't mean to blow my own trumpet, but I'm a big guy aren't I?" said Aspinall.

"I'm bigger than everyone else, so I'm pretty recognisable anyway.

"It's still a bit mind-blowing getting random people in the street come over and say congratulations. And I appreciate that just as much as I appreciate a Noel Gallagher or Ramsay."

In becoming a champion, Aspinall has a bigger public platform and knows the type of role model he wants to become.

"I wanna be exactly like [former double champion] Georges St-Pierre. I think he's a champion inside and outside of the octagon and I aspire to be like him," said Aspinall.

"I think he's a really good person first of all. He's got his morals right. He's an amazing athlete, he's dedicated to his sport, dedicated to his health and to the lifestyle, promoting what it is to be an athlete," said Aspinall.

Aspinall targeting Miocic bout before Jones

After beating Pavlovich, Aspinall is keen to stay active and keep his momentum going, but there is a sticking point.

Champion Jones faces nine months out with injury, while the UFC remain keen to match the American up again with Miocic when he returns.

That leaves Aspinall facing a lengthy spell before challenging the winner of that bout for the undisputed title, or defending his interim belt in the meantime, which is a route the UFC rarely take.

"I think the division is an absolute mess at the top and I'm kind of caught in the crossfire," said Aspinall.

Fellow top heavyweight contenders Ciryl Gane and Jailton Almeida have been touted as potential opponents for Aspinall, but the Briton is targeting a bout with Miocic, with the winner going on to face Jones when he returns from injury.

There has been speculation that Jones, 36, and Miocic, 41, both plan to retire in the near future.

"Right now there are two guys who have a really short space of time and I have an opportunity to fight. They're two guys I'm a massive fan of and mentioned as the greatest of all time in Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones," said Aspinall.

"I want my opportunity before it's too late and I'm getting a lot of criticism for that, but I think I've got to shoot my shot while it's available because that time is going to run out soon.

"I'm not saying I'm not going to fight guys like Gane and Almeida - of course I'm going to fight these guys before my career is over."

Jones hasn't taken kindly to Aspinall's comments, however, seeming to suggest on social media that the Briton is getting ahead of himself.

"I have newcomers requesting I get my championship stripped. Zero wins over legends, zero title defences and already thinking you can call the shots to Dana [White], that's hilarious," wrote Jones.

"In my 15-year career I have seen so many guys who are supposed to be the next big thing. There's ever only been one Jon Jones, never forget that."