Interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall has vowed to avenge his TKO loss to recent big-winner, Curtis Blaydes – potentially as soon as his next Octagon walk, amid confirmation from Dana White that the UFC is set to return to England this year for a pay-per-view event.
Aspinall, the current interim heavyweight champion, minted himself as titleholder back in November in the co-main event of UFC 295, landing a blistering first round KO win over Russian finisher, Sergei Pavlovich in a reworked clash.
And remaining hellbent on a title unification clash in the future – following a recent face-to-face meeting with fellow champion, Jon Jones, Atherton native, Aspinall appears set to lay in wait and face the victor of the former’s bout against ex-champion, Stipe Miocic.
Tom Aspinall eyes Curtis Blaydes rematch next
However, hoping to remain active and defend his interim crown, Aspinall noted his interest in a rematch with the above-mentioned, Blaydes, who handed Brazilian contender, Jailton Almeida his first loss in his six-fight Octagon tenure earlier this month at UFC 299, Aspinall vows to avenge his sole promotional loss in a rematch in the future.
And with the Octagon set to return to the UK as per White – for a pay-per-view event, no less, Aspinall appears willing to meet Elevation Fight Team veteran, Blaydes on the card.
“Jon Jones and Stipe (Miocic) are tied up with each other,” Tom Aspinall told OLBG during a recent interview. “And they’re [the UFC] not going to budge on that [fight]. Right now, it’s in the UFC’s hands, and I’ve never been picky about my opponents. I’ve only ever told them fights I want. I never told them fights that I don’t want. (Curtis) Blaydes has said he wants to fight me, and I’ve said, ‘Okay, cool, let’s do it.’ That’s it.”
“I’m just waiting at the minute,” Tom Aspinall explained. “I’m just waiting for the call. I’m in the gym twice a day, and I’m en route to training as we speak. I’m ready to go whenever. I like Curtis Blaydes, but professionally, I want to beat him because he’s got a win over me when I got injured. I don’t know if the right word is ‘personal’, but it is personal. But not in the way that I don’t like him as a person; it’s personal in a professional kind of way. I want to get that one back.”
Headlining UFC Fight Night London against Blaydes back in the summer of 2022, Aspinall suffered a TKO loss inside just 15 seconds of the first round, after he suffered a catastrophic knee injury.
Can Tom Aspinall avenge his sole UFC loss in a rematch with Curtis Blaydes?