Tag: tom aspinall

Stipe Miocic on Facing Jon Jones Over Aspinall: ‘It Wasn’t My Choice” for UFC 309

Stipe Miocic on Facing Jon Jones Over Aspinall: 'It Wasn't My Choice" for UFC 309Nearly three years removed from his last appearance inside the Octagon, Stipe Miocic returns on Saturday, November 16 for…

Stipe Miocic on Facing Jon Jones Over Aspinall: 'It Wasn't My Choice" for UFC 309

Nearly three years removed from his last appearance inside the Octagon, Stipe Miocic returns on Saturday, November 16 for a high-stakes heavyweight showdown with undisputed titleholder Jon Jones.

The last time fight fans saw the consensus heavyweight GOAT compete, he suffered a nasty second-round knockout loss against Francis Ngannou. Now, the Cleveland native is back and ready to retake the heavyweight crown when he meets ‘Bones’ in the UFC 309 headliner in Madison Square Garden.

Stipe Miocic

Much scrutiny has surrounded Miocic’s upcoming clash against Jones, much of it surrounding interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall who has been left by the wayside while the UFC continues to push Jones vs. Miocic.

After ‘Bones’ bowed out of his originally scheduled scrap with the two-time titleholder last November, an interim title was introduced at UFC 295 between Aspinall and Russian knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich. Aspinall won the bout via a 69-second KO and has since defended the interim belt against Curtis Blaydes while waiting for ‘Bones’ to recover and settle his business with Miocic before a potential unification clash.

Stipe Miocic

However, Miocic himself was the subject of some criticism after he chose to stand aside and let Aspinall fight Pavlovich instead of accepting the Brit as a replacement opponent for his scrapped scrap with Jones. Miocic has also been healthy this entire year, meaning he could have stepped up and fought Aspinall for the interim title instead.

Responding to some of that criticism during an interview with MMA Fighting, Miocic passed the buck to the UFC.

”It wasn’t my choice. It’s a fight I wanted, and the UFC gave it to me. They didn’t have to. They gave it to me” (h/t Sportskeeda).

Miocic did acknowledge that Aspinall is who the people want to see right now.

”[Tom Aspinall is] tough,” Miocic added. “He hits hard. Big boy. It’s what people want, he knocks people out.”

Stipe Miocic is confident in his game plan for jon jones

Regardless of the backlash, Stipe Miocic is looking forward to his return to MSG and is confident that he and his team have devised a game plan that will make him the UFC’s first-ever three-time heavyweight champion.

”We always come with a great game plan. They improvise and make everything right. As long as I go to the game plan, listen [to my coaches], we’ll be good… I think he’s [Jones] just good at what he does. He’s an artist! He knows how to mix it up. He knows how to keep a guy guessing him, you know? That’s why he’s done so well.”

Overall, Stipe Miocic is 20-4 in his mixed martial arts career with 14 of those wins coming by way of knockout. Miocic has held the heavyweight title on two separate occasions and defended it four times — more than any other heavyweight titleholder in UFC history.

Stipe Miocic

Stipe Miocic on Facing Jon Jones Over Aspinall: ‘It Wasn’t My Choice” for UFC 309

Stipe Miocic on Facing Jon Jones Over Aspinall: 'It Wasn't My Choice" for UFC 309Nearly three years removed from his last appearance inside the Octagon, Stipe Miocic returns on Saturday, November 16 for…

Stipe Miocic on Facing Jon Jones Over Aspinall: 'It Wasn't My Choice" for UFC 309

Nearly three years removed from his last appearance inside the Octagon, Stipe Miocic returns on Saturday, November 16 for a high-stakes heavyweight showdown with undisputed titleholder Jon Jones.

The last time fight fans saw the consensus heavyweight GOAT compete, he suffered a nasty second-round knockout loss against Francis Ngannou. Now, the Cleveland native is back and ready to retake the heavyweight crown when he meets ‘Bones’ in the UFC 309 headliner in Madison Square Garden.

Stipe Miocic

Much scrutiny has surrounded Miocic’s upcoming clash against Jones, much of it surrounding interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall who has been left by the wayside while the UFC continues to push Jones vs. Miocic.

After ‘Bones’ bowed out of his originally scheduled scrap with the two-time titleholder last November, an interim title was introduced at UFC 295 between Aspinall and Russian knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich. Aspinall won the bout via a 69-second KO and has since defended the interim belt against Curtis Blaydes while waiting for ‘Bones’ to recover and settle his business with Miocic before a potential unification clash.

Stipe Miocic

However, Miocic himself was the subject of some criticism after he chose to stand aside and let Aspinall fight Pavlovich instead of accepting the Brit as a replacement opponent for his scrapped scrap with Jones. Miocic has also been healthy this entire year, meaning he could have stepped up and fought Aspinall for the interim title instead.

Responding to some of that criticism during an interview with MMA Fighting, Miocic passed the buck to the UFC.

”It wasn’t my choice. It’s a fight I wanted, and the UFC gave it to me. They didn’t have to. They gave it to me” (h/t Sportskeeda).

Miocic did acknowledge that Aspinall is who the people want to see right now.

”[Tom Aspinall is] tough,” Miocic added. “He hits hard. Big boy. It’s what people want, he knocks people out.”

Stipe Miocic is confident in his game plan for jon jones

Regardless of the backlash, Stipe Miocic is looking forward to his return to MSG and is confident that he and his team have devised a game plan that will make him the UFC’s first-ever three-time heavyweight champion.

”We always come with a great game plan. They improvise and make everything right. As long as I go to the game plan, listen [to my coaches], we’ll be good… I think he’s [Jones] just good at what he does. He’s an artist! He knows how to mix it up. He knows how to keep a guy guessing him, you know? That’s why he’s done so well.”

Overall, Stipe Miocic is 20-4 in his mixed martial arts career with 14 of those wins coming by way of knockout. Miocic has held the heavyweight title on two separate occasions and defended it four times — more than any other heavyweight titleholder in UFC history.

Stipe Miocic

From Octagon to the Squared Circle? Tom Aspinall Considers Post-UFC WWE Career: “It’s a buzz.”

From Octagon to the Squared Circle? Tom Aspinall Considers Post-UFC WWE Career: "It’s a buzz."Paddy Pimblett might not be the only UFC fighter attempting to kickstart a career in the WWE. Earlier this…

From Octagon to the Squared Circle? Tom Aspinall Considers Post-UFC WWE Career: "It’s a buzz."

Paddy Pimblett might not be the only UFC fighter attempting to kickstart a career in the WWE.

Earlier this week, ‘The Baddy’ revealed that he had dreams of one day testing his mettle in the world of sports entertainment in hopes of one day becoming the next ‘Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels. Now, it sounds like the Liverpudlian will have some company as current interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall also likes the idea of jumping into the WWE ring once his MMA career is over.

Tom Aspinall

“Absolutely, mate. That’s what I want to do in my post-fighting career,” Aspinall said in a recent interview. “I’ve got my show on TNT Sports now, so I like the punditry side as well. I’m very passionate about MMA, it’s been my life for as long as I can remember. I like to think that I know more about MMA than most and I can offer some kind of knowledge and breakdown to people who don’t understand MMA as well as I do. I think I’ve definitely got that to offer and I think I do that well, it’s something I enjoy and something that I want to continue to do.

“But WWE is something new and exciting for me as well. I really enjoyed it, it’s a buzz. It’s another way to get out there in front of an audience and do something not quite as dangerous, but still get the thrill. I don’t know, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I’ve still got a lot that I want to do in my MMA career. I’m not saying that I want to hang up the gloves just yet, but I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy it. I enjoyed the whole thing” (h/t MMA News).

Tom Aspinall

WWE and UFC have seen its fair share of crossover talent in recent years

Last year, the UFC’s parent company purchased World Wrestling Entertainment in a blockbuster deal that saw the two entities merged under the TKO Group Holdings banner. Thus far, there have been few crossover appearances between the two organization’s stars, but speculation continues to run rampant that before long, we’ll see UFC stars step on the WWE stage and vice versa.

The WWE has already seen its fair share of UFC fighters jump into the world of pro wrestling. Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, Cain Velasquez, and Matt Riddle are just a few former fighters who became industry stars under the WWE banner.

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We’ve also seen a few WWE Superstars test out their skills in four-ounce gloves. CM Punk fought twice inside the Octagon while Dave Bautista and Jake Hager, also known as Jack Swagger, briefly fought in mixed martial arts after wrapping up their WWE careers.

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How do you think Tom Aspinall would fare in a WWE ring?

Current UFC Champion Reveals Interest In Post-UFC WWE Career: ‘Still Get The Thrill’

Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has said in the past that he doesn’t intend on sticking around in the sport to achieve a long-lasting run and legacy. The Brit wants to make as much money possible in the fastest time before leaving with his health. This means that he’s going to need something to […]

Continue Reading Current UFC Champion Reveals Interest In Post-UFC WWE Career: ‘Still Get The Thrill’ at MMA News.

Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has said in the past that he doesn’t intend on sticking around in the sport to achieve a long-lasting run and legacy. The Brit wants to make as much money possible in the fastest time before leaving with his health.

This means that he’s going to need something to occupy his time once his fighting days are over and though he’s in no rush to walk away right now, an opportunity did recently arise. At the WWE’s recent live tour of the UK, one half of TKO Group Holdings collided with the other.

Aspinall was brought into the ring in Manchester, in the same venue where he stopped Curtis Blaydes in July, to step through the ropes and stand side-by-side with WWE champions Cody Rhodes and Gunther.

In a recent interview with SafestCasinoSites, Aspinall reflected on the experience and whether stepping inside a WWE ring would be something that appeals to him once he’s finishing with his fighting career.

The champion started by talking about other areas that he would like to explore once he retires, including punditry and analyst work which he currently does for TNT Sports in the UK. However, pro wrestling helps to give him the same adrenaline rush that competing inside the Octagon satisfies.

“Absolutely, mate. That’s what I want to do in my post-fighting career. I’ve got my show on TNT Sports now, so I like the punditry side as well. I’m very passionate about MMA, it’s been my life for as long as I can remember. I like to think that I know more about MMA than most and I can offer some kind of knowledge and breakdown to people who don’t understand MMA as well as I do. I think I’ve definitely got that to offer and I think I do that well, it’s something I enjoy and something that I want to continue to do.

“But WWE is something new and exciting for me as well. I really enjoyed it, it’s a buzz. It’s another way to get out there in front of an audience and do something not quite as dangerous, but still get the thrill. I don’t know, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I’ve still got a lot that I want to do in my MMA career. I’m not saying that I want to hang up the gloves just yet, but I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy it. I enjoyed the whole thing.”

Continue Reading Current UFC Champion Reveals Interest In Post-UFC WWE Career: ‘Still Get The Thrill’ at MMA News.

UFC Champion Gets Inspired By Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 308 Win: ‘I Need To Learn More…’     

Khamzat Chimaev’s grappling has always been one of the most feared wrestling skillsets that we have seen inside the Octagon but he took it to whole new levels at UFC 308. In his biggest test to date, the undefeated contender submitted Robert Whittaker in the first round. Not only did “Borz” give his opponent little […]

Continue Reading UFC Champion Gets Inspired By Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 308 Win: ‘I Need To Learn More…’      at MMA News.

Khamzat Chimaev’s grappling has always been one of the most feared wrestling skillsets that we have seen inside the Octagon but he took it to whole new levels at UFC 308. In his biggest test to date, the undefeated contender submitted Robert Whittaker in the first round.

Not only did “Borz” give his opponent little chance to defend the takedown by shooting right at him early on in the fight, he did significant and gruesome damage to the jaw of the former champion in just a few seconds of pressure.

Fight fans have known for a long time now that any opponent of Chimaev’s was going to have to weather a rough storm early on because of his aggressive grappling threat. After Kamaru Usman was able to do that and make the fight competitive at UFC 294 last year, there were some doubts hanging over Chimaev’s potential.

He was back to his best in Abu Dhabi and his grappling looked so dominant that it inspired a current UFC champion to keep working harder and learning more. Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall gave his thoughts on the fights in a video on his YouTube channel.

Having given his live reactions via a watch-along, Aspinall was massively impressed by Chimaev’s performance and as someone that tries to take lessons from other fighters, the Brit was certainly able to gain something from this display.

“What he does for me as a fighter myself, me as an already established champion, I look at him and I feel like I need to learn more with the grappling. I need to learn more with the attacks. I need to learn more with how to control someone and not let him move and play the game like he does.”

Aspinall was left stunned by what Chimaev did against an opponent like “The Reaper” who he believed would be able to overcome the early adversity and get his hand raised.

“That was an unbelievable performance and I think, to top it all off, he did it to Robert Whittaker. He went out there and schooled Robert Whittaker which is unbelievable.”

Continue Reading UFC Champion Gets Inspired By Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 308 Win: ‘I Need To Learn More…’      at MMA News.

Tom Aspinall Predicts Fight Between Potential Next Opponents Ciryl Gane & Alexander Volkov

It’s safe to say that interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is not too confident that the winner of Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic will face him to unify the belts following UFC 309. The two veterans are set to collide at Madison Square Garden where it’s expected that both men will retire after the […]

Continue Reading Tom Aspinall Predicts Fight Between Potential Next Opponents Ciryl Gane & Alexander Volkov at MMA News.

It’s safe to say that interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is not too confident that the winner of Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic will face him to unify the belts following UFC 309. The two veterans are set to collide at Madison Square Garden where it’s expected that both men will retire after the fight.

That leaves Aspinall likely looking at an upcoming clash between top contenders as his next opponent once he’s promoted to being the full champion. At UFC 310 on December 7, former interim champion Ciryl Gane will make his return to the Octagon to face off with Alexander Volkov in a rematch.

Gane was dominant in their first meeting back in 2021 but a lot has changed since then, especially when you look at both men’s activity. The Frenchman hasn’t fought since September of last year where he stopped Serghei Spivac in Paris to bounce back from his loss to Jones earlier that year.

As for Aspinall’s former opponent in Volkov, he’s won four in a row since losing to the Brit with his latest victory over Sergei Pavlovich coming this past June. In a recent interview with CasinoHawks, Aspinall previewed the fight.

He believes that the recent form and activity of the Russian will make this fight far more competitive than their initial meeting at the Apex three years ago.

“I think it’s a 50-50 fight. I know they fought before, and it was an absolute stinker—the first one was terrible. Since I fought Volkov, he’s improved a lot. He’s changed his training situation, and Gane has been inactive. Gane seems to fight once a year against opponents who suit him quite well. It’s hard to say; Volkov has been very active. I think he fought four or five times since we fought a couple of years ago, which is a lot for an elite heavyweight. I still think it’s a close fight, though, because I believe Gane is very good and smart, but I think it’ll be a lot closer than the last one, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Volkov pulled it off.”

Continue Reading Tom Aspinall Predicts Fight Between Potential Next Opponents Ciryl Gane & Alexander Volkov at MMA News.