UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has revealed who his hardest-hitting opponent is.
The interim champion has defeated top contenders like Curtis Blaydes, Sergei Pavlovich, and Alexander Volkov, solidifying his place as one of the best heavyweights in MMA.
Outside of the octagon, Tom Aspinall has sharpened his striking skills by sparring with former world champion Tyson Fury, kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven, and other elite fighters.
However, the hardest hit he ever took came from someone you might not recognise.
Tom Aspinall Reveals Sean Turner Packs One of the Hardest Punches He’s Ever Felt
Tom Aspinall has praised Sean Turner for his powerful punch.
Sean Turner, a boxer with a 12-4 professional record that includes eight knockouts and a loss to top contender Filip Hrgovic, caught the UFC star by surprise during a sparring session years ago. Speaking to talkSPORT back in May 2023. Tom Aspinall stated;
“I’ve sparred with a lot of great boxers,”
“I’ve sparred with Rico Verhoeven, the Glory Kickboxing champion—literally the best kickboxer ever, statistically.”
“But there was one guy in particular, someone I sparred a long time ago, and his name is… I don’t even remember his name. They used to call him ‘Big Sexy.’”
“Sean Turner! Sean Turner, that’s his name. I don’t even know if he’s boxing anymore, but I did a few rounds with him, and that guy punches very hard.”
“He hits extremely hard—definitely one of the heaviest punches I’ve sparred with. This was a few years ago, and I don’t even know if he’s still boxing.”
Tom Aspinall has noted that he was caught off guard by Sean Turner’s power. This is when he continued by saying;
“Maybe it’s because I didn’t know who he was. When I was sparring Tyson Fury, Joe Joyce, and Rico Verhoeven—renowned knockout artists—I was expecting that kind of power. But Sean Turner hit me really hard, and I was like, ‘Wow! This guy has some serious power.’”
Aspinall Confident About Securing Unification Fight with Jon Jones
Tom Aspinall is aiming for a title unification fight with Jon Jones next.
The UFC heavyweight champion is coming off a knockout victory over Stipe Miocic in the UFC 309 main event, which seemingly set up a showdown with the interim titleholder.
While Jon Jones has expressed a preference for facing light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira instead of Aspinall, UFC president Dana White has also ruled out the match-up after last month’s pay-per-view event. Now, Aspinall feels optimistic about his chances of facing Jones in the near future.
Speaking to Bloody Elbow he said;
“I’m very confident that it’s going to happen,”
“There are things I have to keep under wraps, but I’ve had conversations with UFC higher-ups, and they’re also confident it’s going to happen.”
“I don’t know about Jon’s side, but from my side and the UFC’s side, it’s very likely.”
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images
