Tag: tom aspinall

Tom Aspinall Pays Rich Tribute To Israel Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305: ‘I Have Learned A Lot Just From Watching Him…’

Tom Aspinall recently heaped praise on Israel Adesanya, expressing admiration for the former UFC middleweight champion’s fighting style and acknowledging how much he has learned from studying his techniques. “The Last Stylebender” is gearing up to make his comeback to the Octagon and challenge reigning middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis in the headlining bout of […]

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Tom Aspinall recently heaped praise on Israel Adesanya, expressing admiration for the former UFC middleweight champion’s fighting style and acknowledging how much he has learned from studying his techniques.

“The Last Stylebender” is gearing up to make his comeback to the Octagon and challenge reigning middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis in the headlining bout of the upcoming pay-per-view event, scheduled for August 17 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

After suffering a shocking title loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 last September, the Nigerian-born Kiwi took a voluntary sabbatical to prioritize his mental health. Now, after 11 months of reflection and recovery, he’s returning to active competition with a renewed focus.

Adesanya is regarded as one of the most dominant middleweight champions in UFC history, boasting five successful title defenses. However, Izzy’s fortunes have taken a downturn in the past couple of years, starting with his first-ever middleweight defeat—a dramatic fifth-round TKO at the hands of his arch-nemesis, Alex Pereira, at UFC 281 in November 2022.

As an expert in distance control and fluid striking himself, Aspinall holds a deep respect for the finesse that defines Adesanya’s elite fighting style…

Aspinall Says Adesanya’s Style Is From ‘Different Universe’

During a recent interview with TNT Sports, Aspinall broke down how Adesanya expertly dismantles his opponents with a unique blend of unorthodox striking, a key factor behind his success in the Octagon.

The interim UFC heavyweight champion expressed profound respect for Adesanya and said that he has even incorporated elements of it into his own game.

“Israel Adesanya, such contrasting styles and by the way, if you’re not an Izzy fan, what are you?” Aspinall said. “I mean, the guy’s an absolute technician. The thing with Izzy is the styles are so different, they’re on different universes, you know what I mean? They’re never mind a different spectrum. The way that Izzy fights is he has his hands low a bit, and he will constantly keep you guessing. But because he’s so long—6’4” at middleweight is so tall for a middleweight—he’ll do this kind of stuff a lot. He’s so good with his kicks; he fakes with the legs as well, so he’ll be doing a lot of this, then he’ll be coming up.

We’ve seen him with his chopping leg kicks, we’ve seen him with the high kicks. He’s just so long, and he reads the fight so well. He’s had so many fights now as well. I’ve learned a lot just from watching him, do you know what I mean?”

Aspinall also offered his prediction for the upcoming clash between Du Plessis and Adesanya. He suggested that “Stillknocks” will have a tough time keeping up with the elusive former champ, likely ending up on the receiving end of some devastating, fight-altering strikes as he tries to close the distance.

“I would say it’s almost like the bull and the matador, this fight. It’s like we’ve got the bull in DDP [Du Plessis]; he’s coming forward, you know what you’re going to get with him—he’s closing the space, trying to kill you. On the other hand, he’s [Adesanya] staying out of the way, doing his feints, and it’s just such a contrast of styles. As a massive fan of MMA myself, I just can’t wait to see it.”

“The Last Stylebender” is on the verge of making history. A victory on Saturday night could see him join the ranks of the legendary Randy Couture by securing an undisputed title in a third division—an achievement that would undoubtedly cement his legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

Continue Reading Tom Aspinall Pays Rich Tribute To Israel Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305: ‘I Have Learned A Lot Just From Watching Him…’ at MMA News.

Ben Askren Calls Out UFC’s Hypocrisy In Not Booking Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall: ‘That’s What Boxing Does’

Former UFC fighter Ben Askren thinks Dana White’s comments on the issues in boxing make no sense while he refuses to make the biggest fight at heavyweight. One topic that has remained at the surface in 2024 is Jon Jones’ return from injury. His first title defense was originally set to come against Stipe Miocic […]

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Former UFC fighter Ben Askren thinks Dana White’s comments on the issues in boxing make no sense while he refuses to make the biggest fight at heavyweight.

One topic that has remained at the surface in 2024 is Jon Jones’ return from injury. His first title defense was originally set to come against Stipe Miocic at last November’s UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden.

After injury forced “Bones” out, an interim champion was crowned in his absence. Tom Aspinall’s triumph over Sergei Pavlovich added a second titleholder to the division and appeared to set up a unification showdown with Jones.

But both the Rochester native and the UFC have remained firm on rescheduling the Miocic matchup in spite of Aspinall’s gold, and that appears to still be the case following the Brit’s successful defense against Curtis Blaydes last month in Manchester.

Plenty in the community have spoken out against plans for Jones and Miocic to meet toward the end of this year, citing the heavyweight legend’s inactivity to insist that a clash with Aspinall is more intriguing.

And according to one former fighter, the promotion’s rejection of that goes directly against the UFC CEO’s frequent comments about what sets his organization apart from boxing’s politics…

Askren On Jones vs. Aspinall Delay: ‘The Fact That Dana’s Playing Along…’

During the latest episode of his Funky and the Champ YouTube show alongside Daniel Cormier, Askren gave his latest take on the heavyweight title picture.

“Funky,” a former Bellator and ONE Championship kingpin, pointed to the UFC’s claim of putting on the biggest and best fights in comparison to boxing, a sport that White has often criticized for its politics and failure to pair the top names against one another.

By not staging Jones vs. Aspinall, however, Askren believes White and the UFC is abandoning that principle.

“I almost feel like maybe Jon’s got some dirt on Dana or something,” Askren said. “Dana generally would not put up with this type of behavior. He would say — and this is what the UFC’s been founded on where boxing wasn’t — ‘we want the best guys to fight. We want to see who the actual best guy is. We don’t want to waste time with shenanigans. We don’t want to pad records…we don’t do that; that’s what boxing does. In the UFC, we put the best guys in there, we see who wins.’

“The fact that Dana’s playing along and letting him and Stipe fight — Stipe’s gonna be close to four years (since his last fight). And you have this young interim champion — I mean, he’s a beast, he smashes people,” Askren continued. “The fact they won’t put them in there together — and then there’s this obvious (chance) that Jon beats Stipe and then says, ‘I’m done, I’m gone,’ and then we never get to see that. … Dana almost always presses these issues with the best guys.”

After pausing his pursuit of Jones and focusing on retaining his belt and securing redemption against Blaydes on home soil, Aspinall turned his attention back to the all-time great following his quick triumph.

And the interim champ has since vowed not to return unless undisputed status is on the line.

Continue Reading Ben Askren Calls Out UFC’s Hypocrisy In Not Booking Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall: ‘That’s What Boxing Does’ at MMA News.

‘And People Act Like He Won’t Do This To Aspinall’ – Fans React To Video Of Jon Jones’ Elite Grappling With Gordon Ryan

Jon Jones may be the most skilled mixed martial artist that the sport has ever seen. What can easily be forgotten about when it comes to the skills that “Bones” brings to the table is his high-level grappling which he rarely uses. For the majority of his run in the light heavyweight division, Jones chose […]

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Jon Jones may be the most skilled mixed martial artist that the sport has ever seen.

What can easily be forgotten about when it comes to the skills that “Bones” brings to the table is his high-level grappling which he rarely uses.

For the majority of his run in the light heavyweight division, Jones chose to strike with opponents instead which shows how well-rounded he is.

Fans did get another quick glimpse at his grappling ability in his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane, where he was able to quickly secure a takedown and guillotine submission to become world champion in another weight class.

With all of this being said, large sections of the MMA fanbase haven’t been willing to give Jones his flowers as of late due to the ongoing conversation around him and the interim champion, Tom Aspinall.

MMA Fans React As Jon Jones Holds His Own With Gordon Ryan

A recent video on social media showed yet another look at Jones’ high-level grappling as he mixed it up on the mats with Gordon Ryan.

As well as being a big and powerful athlete, Ryan is one of the best jiu-jitsu competitors ever and at least in this clip, “Bones” is able to hold his own.

As is the case with everything that Jones posts as of late, many of the replies underneath were in reference to a potential fight with Aspinall, which fans have been very outspoken about.

Whilst some believe that this fight is to make instead of having him return against Stipe Miocic, others have sided with the heavyweight champion and believe that the Aspinall hype train has gotten out of hand.

“And people act like he won’t do this to Aspinall in a f***in heartbeat”

“BREAKING NEWS Dana White’s burner account gets leaked under the account name ‘blonded’”

“I realized after he cooked Gane”

“People don’t realize how small Gordon Ryan is compared to Tom Aspinall.”

“Jones would beat Aspinall easily. Respect the GOAT”

“No way you think Gordon Ryan was actually trying???”

“I don’t wanna hear anybody saying Aspinall beats him”

Read also: TJ Dillashaw Criticises Anthony Smith: ‘He Doesn’t Have That Dog In Him…’

Continue Reading ‘And People Act Like He Won’t Do This To Aspinall’ – Fans React To Video Of Jon Jones’ Elite Grappling With Gordon Ryan at MMA News.

MMA News Today: Teammate Feels Belal Muhammad Will ‘Surprise’ Leon Edwards On The Feet At UFC 304, Video Emerges Of Paddy Pimblett Struggling To Handle Tony Ferguson’s Straight Punches, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 25, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Jared Gordon Says Belal Muhammad Can Surprise Leon Edwards On The Feet Belal Muhammad comes into his first UFC title fight with tons of confidence that he is […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Teammate Feels Belal Muhammad Will ‘Surprise’ Leon Edwards On The Feet At UFC 304, Video Emerges Of Paddy Pimblett Struggling To Handle Tony Ferguson’s Straight Punches, & More at MMA News.

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 25, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • Gordon believes Muhammad can catch Edwards off guard
  • Video shows Ferguson’s boxing success against Pimblett
  • Former Jones rival backs Aspinall to beat him

Jared Gordon Says Belal Muhammad Can Surprise Leon Edwards On The Feet

Belal Muhammad comes into his first UFC title fight with tons of confidence that he is the best welterweight in the world.

His winning streak has been very impressive but in the champion Leon Edwards, he faces a very tough test at UFC 304 this weekend.

It doesn’t take an expert analyst to break down why the challenger’s wrestling will be crucial in this fight if he is able to take Edwards’ striking game away from him.

During a fight week interview with InsideFighting, his teammate Jared Gordon broke down how he sees the fight playing out.

Whilst he expects Muhammad to really come into his own in the second half of the fight, he also predicted that he might be able to catch “Rocky” off guard when it comes to the stand-up battle.

“I see Belal surprising him on the feet and I think his pressure and the later rounds is what’s going to separate them and Belal always does better in the later rounds where Leon tends to fade, you know. So I think Belal’s going to have to get through that first round, second round, and then he’s going to cook him.”

Social Media Video Shows Tony Ferguson Repeatedly Landing Straight Punches Against Paddy Pimblett

Paddy Pimblett will face the toughest test of his UFC run to date this weekend when he takes on King Green in Manchester.

Whilst “The Baddy” has had a lot of success inside the Octagon, his striking defense has been called into question a few times.

This is something he’s been working on extensively in recent times and against the boxing skills of Green, it’s sure to be a major factor at UFC 304.

A recent highlights compilation posted on X showed how Tony Ferguson was able to have success against Pimblett at UFC 296 by utilizing his straight punches.

“El Cucuy” didn’t deal a whole lot of damage in the fight but he was able to consistently land these shots.

With Green being known for his speed and combinations, not taking too many jabs or straights may have been a significant part of the Brit’s training camp for this next outing.

Alexander Gustafsson Says He Can See Tom Aspinall Beating Jon Jones If They Ever Fight

There aren’t many fighters that know Jon Jones better than his former light heavyweight rival, Alexander Gustaffson.

“The Mauler” fought tooth and nail with “Bones” 11 years ago in one of the best title fights we’ve ever seen and met him for a second time in a rematch.

Despite interim champion Tom Aspinall returning to defend his title this weekend against Curtis Blaydes, the match-up that many have been speaking about is the Brit taking on Jones at some stage.

Gustaffson spoke in a recent interview with Crypto Sports Betting (h/t FightBook MMA) where he said that if the fight happens, he believes England’s Aspinall has what it takes to be the first man to beat the consensus greatest of all time.

“Yes, I think Tom will be too much for Jon. He has all the weapons to beat Jon. Jon hasn’t been that active, but he’s still the GOAT. You can never count this guy out, he’s so freaking good at what he does. He’s handled every opponent and everybody knows how good he is, but Aspinall right now, I see him as very dangerous for Jon,” Gustafsson continued. “He’s dangerous on his feet, he’s fast, he has great footwork, and he’s a smart fighter. He has the tools to do good against Jon and even beat him. If they will fight, now is the time for Aspinall. He could go down as one of the best heavyweights ever.”

Read more on the story here.

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UFC Rankings Report: Paddy Pimblett Arrives At Lightweight, Belal Muhammad Debuts On Pound-For-Pound List

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away. And in the aftermath of UFC 304, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings. Men’s Pound-For-Pound: In addition to reaching the mountaintop at 170 pounds, Belal Muhammad’s title-winning triumph […]

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Paddy Pimblett Arrives At Lightweight, Belal Muhammad Debuts On Pound-For-Pound List at MMA News.

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.

And in the aftermath of UFC 304, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

Men’s Pound-For-Pound: In addition to reaching the mountaintop at 170 pounds, Belal Muhammad’s title-winning triumph over Leon Edwards this past weekend has seen him join the P4P rankings. The newly crowned welterweight champion has debuted at #6, with his defeated opponent dropping three spots to #7. Muhammad’s arrival has resulted in the removal of former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling.

Also on a climb is the other man who left the Co-op Live with gold in his possession, Tom Aspinall. The interim heavyweight kingpin’s rapid knockout of Curtis Blaydes has seen him rise by two places to #9, jumping above Max Holloway (#10), Dricus Du Plessis (#11), and Alexandre Pantoja (#12).

Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.

Women’s Strawweight: No changes.

Women’s Flyweight: No changes.

Women’s Bantamweight: No changes.

Flyweight: After some controversial antics and a lackluster victory at UFC 304, Muhammad Mokaev evidently didn’t do enough to convince the promotion he was worth re-signing. As a result of his departure, “The Punisher” has been quickly removed from the 125-pound rankings. That’s paved the way for Cody Durden to return at #15.

The man he beat at UFC 304, Manel Kape, has fallen by one position to #9, with both Steve Erceg (#7) and Matheus Nicolau (#8) receiving two-spot boosts to jump above “Starboy.”

Bantamweight: No changes.

Featherweight: Arnold Allen’s decision win over Giga Chikadze in the early hours of Sunday morning was enough to secure his return to the top five at 145 pounds. “Almighty” has moved up by one spot to share the #5 place with former opponent Movsar Evloev.

Lightweight: Paddy Pimblett was among the biggest winners to emerge from UFC 304, putting King Green to sleep with a triangle choke to record his first success over ranked opposition. As expected, the result has pushed “The Baddy” into contention, with the Liverpool native replacing Green at #15.

Welterweight: With Muhammad surging to the throne in Manchester, Edwards has slipped back to the #1 position as the leader in the chasing pack. That’s also left former champ Kamaru Usman one place worse off at #2.

Middleweight: No changes.

Light Heavyweight: No changes.

Heavyweight: After falling short in his first UFC title shot, Blaydes has been relegated to #5 in the heavyweight pecking order, with Sergei Pavlovich replacing him at #4 a month on from his defeat to Alexander Volkov in Saudi Arabia.

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Paddy Pimblett Arrives At Lightweight, Belal Muhammad Debuts On Pound-For-Pound List at MMA News.

Former UFC Champion Explains How Tom Aspinall’s Short Fight Time Could Be His ‘Worst Enemy’ Against Jon Jones

Tom Aspinall came into UFC 304 this past weekend already holding the UFC record for the fastest average fight time for an athlete that has stepped foot in the Octagon several times. This streak doesn’t appear to be going anywhere despite his want and expectation for the rematch with Curtis Blaydes to go past the […]

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Tom Aspinall came into UFC 304 this past weekend already holding the UFC record for the fastest average fight time for an athlete that has stepped foot in the Octagon several times.

This streak doesn’t appear to be going anywhere despite his want and expectation for the rematch with Curtis Blaydes to go past the opening rounds.

All it took was one clean shot from the interim heavyweight champion to send Blaydes off balance, where a barrage of follow-up strikes closed the show in just one minute.

In nine total appearances since signing with the UFC, Aspinall is still yet to clock in a full 15-minute bout duration – even with all of his fights combined.

He got this one done even quicker than his average fight time of less than two minutes but a former champion questioned whether this will come back to bite him at a later stage.

Henry Cejudo Says Tom Aspinall’s Lack Of Cage Time Could Hurt Him Against Jon Jones

Even before this fight, despite Blaydes being a very tough opponent for Aspinall, the fight that many want to see the Brit in is the title unification clash with Jon Jones.

This is even more so the case after he avenged his one defeat in the UFC, which was caused by an injury, and made it look relatively simple.

During the UFC 304 recap episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Henry Cejudo made the case for why this incredibly small amount of fight time could be a disadvantage for Aspinall if he were to fight Jones.

We’re still yet to see so many elements of his game which an experienced foe like Jones is surely going to want to try and test, if they do ever meet.

“Last four fights bro! 3 minutes and 37 seconds, Jesus Christ. But, that can also be his worst enemy too because you know a guy like Jones, a guy like Jones is smart bro. A guy like Jones, we cannot doubt the dude. The dude could wrestle and the dude will probably make this dude fight that beast side. But I will say this man, Tom Aspinall’s agility and the fact he’s a counter puncher, like he really did counter that jab very well with that overhand bro. like his IQ on his feet is good but we also have to see him in those other areas.”

Read also: Kamaru Usman Reacts To Belal Muhammad Dominating Leon Edwards At UFC 304: ‘Leon Doesn’t Necessarily Know How To Fight There…’

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