Tom Aspinall maintains he’s fighting the most “dangerous” fighter currently on the promotion’s books on just two weeks’ notice as he takes on Sergei Pavlovich in a reshuffled interim heavyweight title fight at UFC 295 – as he hopes to follow in the path paved by UK favorite, Michael Bisping.
Aspinall, the current number four ranked heavyweight contender, is slated to co-headline UFC 295 in November at Madison Square Garden, landing an interim title fight with the aforenoted, Pavlovich on short notice, after incumbent heavyweight champion, Jon Jones was forced from the headliner after he tore a tendon attached to his pectoral muscle while training for his fight with Stipe Miocic.
Tom Aspinall envisions title success against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295
And now set for a return to the Octagon in his first championship fight under the banner of the promotion, Aspinall, who most recently turned in a first round TKO win over Polish veteran, Marcin Tybura back in July, claimed he would do a “Bisping” and land a shocking win over Pavlovich, minting himself as the interim heavyweight titleholder.
“I’m fighting the most dangerous guy in the uFC on two weeks notice,” Tom Aspinall told The Mac Life reporter, Oscar Willis. “But I’m willing to put it all on the line. This is my absolute dream and I’m f*cking doing a ‘Bisping’.”
Amid the reshuffle of next months’ flagship return to New York City, Aspinall and Pavlovich will take co-headlining status at Madison Square Garden, with a vacant light heavyweight title fight between former Octagon gold holders, Jiri Prochazka, and Alex Pereira set to take main event honors to boot.
Tasked with handing Pavlovich his first loss since the Russian dropped an Octagon debut defeat to Alistair Overeem, the former has since landed six consecutive knockout victories, including an April stoppage win over common-foe, Curtis Blaydes in the first round of their headlining clash.
Who wins at UFC 295: Tom Aspinall or Sergei Pavlovich?