UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is confident he will KO Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 to put their rivalry to an end.
Aspinall and Blaydes fought back in the main event of UFC London in July of 2022 when Aspinall blew out his knee just seconds into the fight. It was his first loss in the UFC, and now two years later, the two will be rematching in the co-main event of UFC 304, with Tom Aspinall putting his interim title on the line.
Heading into the fight, Aspinall is confident that he won’t just beat Blaydes but will KO him in horrendous fashion.
TOM ASPINALL KNOCKED OUT SERGEI PAVLOVICH TO BECOME THE NEW INTERIM UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) November 12, 2023
“It’s Heavyweight MMA and anything can happen, I feel like I always have to say that just to cover all aspects,” Aspinall told Prime Casino. “However, I feel like this ends with an absolutely horrendous knockout and me being the winner. That’s how I definitely see it going.”
If Aspinall does KO Blaydes at UFC 304 as he says, it would be a statement-making win for him.
Tom Aspinall not worried about Jon Jones fight
If Tom Aspinall does KO Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, a fight against Jon Jones could be next to unify the heavyweight division.
However, Aspinall says he isn’t focused on that fight, and rather is just worried about beating Blaydes and then whatever happens after that, happens.
“This is a big fight for me, mentally as well as physically,” Aspinall said. “This is the only loss I have got in the UFC, and I lost it in a very unpleasant way because of the injury and then being unable to even train for the next year, or walk for the next few months.
“I don’t want that to be the final chapter for me and Curtis Blaydes, I want to put this to bed once and for all and that’s what I am looking to do,” he concluded. “So I am very motivated for this one.”
Aspinall enters the bout as with a 14-3 record and is coming off a KO win over Sergei Pavlovich in November to become the interim heavyweight champion.