England’s Tom Aspinall enters UFC 321 on Saturday as a big favourite to retain the heavyweight title, and if he beats French challenger Ciryl Gane, it will be the first time he exits the cage with the undisputed belt around his waist.
The 32-year-old ascended to the top of the division in unusual circumstances, capturing and defending the interim UFC heavyweight title before being elevated to undisputed champion following American incumbent Jon Jones’ abrupt retirement in June.
“It doesn’t really bother me too much – I already felt like the champion anyway,” Aspinall told Reuters of his rise to the summit before describing his ideal fight against Gane in Abu Dhabi.
“If I had the option, if you’re going to ask me what will my ideal fight be, it would be me not being hit at all, hitting the other guy, and the referee pulling me off.”
Widely considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, Jones retired without facing Aspinall. With many of the division’s top contenders already defeated by the English fighter, the path appears clear for a long reign.
However, Aspinall acknowledged the unpredictability of the heavyweight class, where title reigns can end abruptly due to the power of opponents.
“Especially for heavyweights, it’s a lot easier to knock someone out at 240, 250, 260 pounds than it is at 145 pounds, for example, so, yeah, it’s definitely a lot harder (to remain champion),” he explained.
“The idea is at heavyweight, it’s pretty simple rules – try not to let him hit you, try not to let him get on top of you. They’re the two golden rules at heavyweight.”
PROTOTYPE HEAVYWEIGHT
Having developed his fighting style with his coach and father Andy, Aspinall is regarded as a prototype modern UFC heavyweight.
An excellent boxer and a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, he stands 6ft 5 inches (1.96 metres) tall and weighed in for Saturday’s fight at 255 pounds (115.66kg). His average fight time in the UFC of just over two minutes underscores his ruthless finishing ability.
He enters the fray against Gane with the same plan he always has – take control of the fight early on, and whatever you do, don’t get stuck on the bottom.
“If I can win every single fight for the rest of my career in the first 10 seconds, I absolutely will. That being said, I’m not going to go in there desperate and looking for it. I’m always prepared for five rounds,” he said.
“I know what it’s like (to be on the bottom), it’s miserable. Like, I’ve spent hours and hours under big guys in the training room, and it’s not very fun, so I’ll try and avoid that at all costs if I can.”
Aspinall is odds-on favourite to beat Gane in the fight, which will be broadcast on TNT Sports Box Office in the UK.
“If I could get the guy exhausted and I end up on top of him, I think that’s probably the ultimate position, but I’m just as comfortable standing as well,” he said. “I’m always ready for five rounds. So if it needs to go longer, it will go longer.”
