UK standout, Tom Aspinall is confident the task ahead of him in Curtis Blaydes will elevate his game to that next level.
Tom Aspinall believes when the Octagon door shuts at UFC London, he will be faced with his most daunting task to date in Curtis Blaydes, purely due to his strong wrestling credentials.
It’s no secret that Blaydes is one of the best, if not the best wrestler in the heavyweight division, and with the American native finding comfort in his hands as of late, it gives a handful for Aspinall to think about in preparation.
Tom Aspinall Talks Curtis Blaydes
The team Kaobon fighter told Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour: ‘If they’re coming back to the UK obviously I’m not going to miss that opportunity.
‘That night in March, that was something special and if we have the opportunity to do anything even close to that again, I want to be a part of it. Why would I not? Why would I not want to be a part of something like that?
‘I’m not going to pass that opportunity up, so we got it again. We’re going again. July 23, Aspinall vs. Blaydes, in the big smoke, in the O2 Arena, London, England, what more could you want?
As always, Aspinall respectfully credits Blaydes’s skillset, being as humble as ever, saying: ‘Curtis Blaydes is probably the toughest fight in the division for me stylistically.
‘But I’m okay with that because that pushes me to a whole new level. That pushes me to levels I’ve never been before, and that’s what I need. If I’m with someone that’s going to make me comfortable, I’m going to stay exactly where I am and do the exact same work that I’ve been doing.
‘If you’re going to give me someone that I think is a scary fight and you’re going to give me fear, you don’t want to see me scared, because I end up doing stuff like I did in the O2 the time I fought.
‘I end up doing some crazy stuff that I’ve never done before. So me with a massive fight with a really tough guy, that’s dangerous. That’s dangerous for any heavyweight.’
Although the 29-year-old has stated in the past he doesn’t want to rush the title talks. A convincing victory very well could line him up for the next shot, or perhaps interim.
Tom made comment on the title talk: ‘I’m not even interested in it. I’m not. I never thought that I was going to be talking about a title after five UFC fights, six UFC fights.’
‘I feel like I’ve got more work to do. I’ve got a lot more work to do, more proving. I don’t want to be one of these people who gets here by talking. That is not me’.
What do you think will be Aspinalls next move if victorious in London?
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