UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is using a unique training method ahead of his UFC 304 fight against…
UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is using a unique training method ahead of his UFC 304 fight against Curtis Blaydes.
Aspinall is set to defend his interim title in the co-main event of UFC 304, and in the lead-up to the fight, the Brit says he is dipping his hands in petrol to help strengthen his knuckles, which he says is part of his gypsy heritage.
“You ever see the documentary Knuckle? You familiar with that? It’s a documentary about travelers, traveling communities in the UK island. And there’s a guy on there, big Joe Joyce, an old traveling legend, and big Joe Joyce reveals a few gypsy methods for getting ready for a fight,” Tom Aspinall said Monday on The MMA Hour. “I wanted to resort back to a bit of gypsy heritage that I’ve got, so I thought, right, what I’m going to do is I’m going to make a little ring out of hay bales.
“When it gets to about 4 a.m., I get my alarm on, I go outside, do a bit shadowboxing in the hay bales — and then I do the old traveler method of dipping your knuckles in petrol for about 20 minutes as the sun’s coming up, and that hardens your knuckles… These are some of the hardest knuckles in the UFC right here right now. They’re like rocks.”
It is a unique training method, but Tom Aspinall has confidence it will help his power get even stronger and will lead to him getting a KO win over Blaydes at UFC 304 on July 27 in Manchester, England.
It is a unique challenge for the local fighters, but Aspinall says he’s adjusting well and is confident he will be firing on all cylinders come fight night.
“Look mate, if you can fight really well at 12 o’clock midnight, but you can’t fight really well at 4 a.m., you weren’t that [good] in the first place, in my opinion,” Tom Aspinall said. “Like, there’s plenty of times that I’ve traveled across the world, fought in different time zones without even adjusting myself. And now I’ve had a full training camp at home, I’m right there ready to fight, so if that’s an excuse, mate, you’re not that good in the first place.”
Mandatory Credit: Chris Unger – Zuffa LLC
Aspinall enters his UFC 304 fight against Blaydes as a -380 favorite.
UFC lightweight prospect Paddy Pimblett has even more belief in his grappling game having controlled former interim champion Tony Ferguson on the ground last December. A year on from a controversial decision victory over Jared Gordon that appeared to dampen the hype surrounding his rise up the 155-pound ladder, Pimblett got relatively back on track […]
UFC lightweight prospect Paddy Pimblett has even more belief in his grappling game having controlled former interim champion Tony Ferguson on the ground last December.
A year on from a controversial decision victory over Jared Gordon that appeared to dampen the hype surrounding his rise up the 155-pound ladder, Pimblett got relatively back on track in his return at UFC 296 last December.
On the pay-per-view main card, “The Baddy” shared the cage with Ferguson and extended the veteran’s losing skid to seven across three largely one-sided rounds.
Ferguson, a black belt in 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu under Eddie Bravo, struggled to mount any offense from his back against “The Baddy.” And having been able to find nothing but success on the ground with him, Pimblett is returning to the cage more confident than ever in that part of his arsenal.
“As I said after the fight, it was nice to actually get 15 minutes in there and know that even when I’m tired, I can take someone down who’s one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in any division, 10th Planet black belt,” Pimblett said. “And I can just sit on top of them and control them and throw strikes.
“He didn’t even get close to getting a sub on me at all. So I don’t think Bobby can dream of getting a sub on me if Tony Ferguson can’t,” Pimblett concluded.
That growing self-belief no doubt explains Pimblett’s grappling challenge to Green, which came after “King” teased the pursuit of a submission against “The Baddy.”
Interestingly, while the Liverpudlian went the distance with Ferguson last December, Green actually found the submission against him five months prior, leaving “El Cucuy” unconscious in an arm-triangle choke at UFC 291.
Former UFC title challenger Din Thomas believes Belal Muhammad has traveled a path of unprecedented difficulty in order to secure a first shot at gold. Muhammad, who currently occupies the #2 spot at 170 pounds, is less than two weeks out from his long-awaited maiden title opportunity, which he’s been calling for and working toward […]
Former UFC title challenger Din Thomas believes Belal Muhammad has traveled a path of unprecedented difficulty in order to secure a first shot at gold.
Muhammad, who currently occupies the #2 spot at 170 pounds, is less than two weeks out from his long-awaited maiden title opportunity, which he’s been calling for and working toward for a number of years.
Since eye pokes resulted in a no contest when Muhammad and Edwards first shared the cage back in 2021, the former has won five straight, bringing his overall unbeaten streak to 10.
After statement wins over Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque, and Sean Brady, Muhammad most recently staked his claim with a convincing five-round display opposite Gilbert Burns last May.
While that result left him as the clear top contender in the eyes of many, Muhammad was left waiting while Colby Covington received his third shot at the undisputed throne.
Thomas: Muhammad Has Been ‘Cutting His Teeth On Doing Everything He Needs To’
After stressing the importance of Muhammad not allowing Edwards any breathing room on fight night, Thomas acknowledged the trials and tribulations that have gone into securing this moment for the challenger.
“He’s gotta go out there and put pressure on Leon. He’s gotta put pressure on him and keep pressure on him for five rounds,” Thomas said. “His body of work over the last few fights, over the last few years, and the improvements that he’s made has shown that he can do exactly that.
“He’s been training with the Dagestani wrestlers. He’s been cutting his teeth on doing everything he needs to do in order to get this shot,” Thomas continued. “No one has probably earned a shot like he has in the UFC in the history of people deserving shots.”
Having finally booked his place opposite Edwards inside the Octagon, Muhammad will hope to make the most of the opportunity by leaving hostile territory with the welterweight gold in his possession.
Polarizing UFC lightweight contender, Paddy Pimblett couldn’t hide his joy overnight as he watched England suffer defeat to Spain…
Polarizing UFC lightweight contender, Paddy Pimblett couldn’t hide his joy overnight as he watched England suffer defeat to Spain in the European Championships final – as he took in the event with other viewers in a pub.
Pimblett, a native of Liverpool, is slated to make his return to action at the end of this month, taking on perennial contender and striking star, King Green in a main card clash at UFC 304 in Manchester.
Sidelined since last December, Pimblett, a former undisputed Cage Warriors featherweight champion, improved his unbeaten run in the promotion to six consecutive fights, courtesy of a decision win over former interim lightweight gold holder, Tony Ferguson over the course of three rounds.
Paddy Pimblett celebrates as England lose EURO 2024 final to Spain
And taking in last night’s European Championship finale between Spain and England, Pimblett – a supporter of Liverpool football club, made his feelings toward the English national team clear, openly celebrating as Gareth Southgate’s side suffered a 2-1 defeat to Spain, mocking other supporters at the venue.
Explaining his decision to mock the English national team and it’s supporters, UFC 304 feature, Pimblett revealed he had just won a bet with a friend, and was celebrating as a result.
Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC
“So a lot of people are making a big deal about this video so I’m putting it up myself for you all to see,” Paddy Pimblett wrote. “I had a bet with a few of my mates in the pub and if England would have won I would have had to pay out £3,000, also everyone jumped on me and 10 minutes earlier when England scored. How cab (sic) you expect me not to return the favor a few minutes later.”
“That’s what it feels like winning £3,000 in the last minute of the match, anyone that says they wouldn’t celebrate winning a bet like, you are absolutely crazy.”
Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam – USA TODAY Sports
Another polarizing star who profited on England losing to Spain overnight came in the form of former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor, who netted himself a cool €1,000,000 payday for his wager on the Spaniards to emerge from Berlin with the European Championship in tow.
Do you think Paddy Pimblett beats King Green next weekend at UFC 304?
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 15, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Dan Hooker Says Israel Adesanya Is Hitting Too Hard For Them To Spar One Another When Israel Adesanya returns at UFC 305 to try and recapture the middleweight […]
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 15, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
Hooker says Adesanya sparring isn’t on his wish list right now
Anik never lets his relationships affect his commentary
Blaydes says he’s keeping things simple ahead of Aspinall rematch
Dan Hooker Says Israel Adesanya Is Hitting Too Hard For Them To Spar One Another
When Israel Adesanya returns at UFC 305 to try and recapture the middleweight title against Dricus Du Plessis, he will do so off the back of his longest break between fights since signing with the promotion.
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, his City Kickboxing teammate Dan Hooker spoke about how Adesanya has been bulking up outside of training camp.
The lightweight contender, who has sparred with the former middleweight champion for a long time, said that his fellow New Zealander is starting to pack too much of a punch for him to trade shots with.
“I can’t even be bothered sparring him at the moment like the way he’s hitting. I think he’s like 105 kilos [around 230 pounds], I’m just like f******, kicked me in the leg and I was like ‘get f*****!’. He’s had some time off, he was carrying some injuries, he spent a lot of time just packing on some size and like a lot of strength bro and he’s hitting like a truck man. I can’t even be bothered sparring him… like he’s hitting too hard.”
Jon Anik Says Relationship With Belal Muhammad Won’t Affect His UFC 304 Commentary
It’s only natural for UFC commentators to have relationships and friendships with some of the fighters that are signed to the roster.
This is especially difficult in a sport like MMA where the highs are so high and the lows are so low but Jon Anik always looks to separate his work from his personal feelings.
Anik spoke in a recent interview with InsideFighting about how he always looks to serve the moment and both fighters as best as he can, regardless of whether he has personal connections to them.
“No, I feel like once the athlete hits the tunnel, any of those types of feeling or emotions go away. As I’ve said repeatedly, Dominick Cruz is probably the guy I’m closest to, I mean Belal’s obviously right there on his heels as are other athletes.
“you establish a lot of interpersonal relationship and you can’t help that but it certainly doesn’t affect the call. I can assure you and everybody else if Leon Edwards head kicks Belal Muhammad into oblivion, my call is going to reflect that and there was nothing hard about me screaming with veins popping out of my mouth, ‘Stipe gets his revenge’, even though he did it against Daniel Cormier.”
Curtis Blaydes Isn’t Adjusting His Approach For Fighting Tom Aspinall At UFC 304
In the co-main event in Manchester, Tom Aspinall’s interim heavyweight title will be on the line when he faces Curtis Blaydes in a rematch.
Blaydes, who is now a 22-fight veteran, has faced the majority of the top names at heavyweight at this stage.
Rather than working specifically on his opponent’s approach, Blaydes simply looks to bring the best version of himself to England in order to come away with the win.
“Conditioning (has been the focus in camp). That’s the same old,” Blaydes said. “I don’t adjust for anyone. I have prepared for this fight the same way I prepare for everyone. I don’t like to add extra adjustments, extra things to think about. There’s already a whole lot, we don’t need to add anything else.
“Just a normal, standard fight camp,” Blaydes continued. “Eight weeks of sparring, drilling, running, icing; normal stuff.”
Despite the hype around Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall, Curtis Blaydes isn’t approaching their title fight differently to any other of his bouts. Two years on from their disappointingly short first showdown in London, Aspinall and Blaydes will once again share the Octagon across the pond, this time with championship gold on the line […]
Despite the hype around Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall, Curtis Blaydes isn’t approaching their title fight differently to any other of his bouts.
With that, and with champion Jon Jones choosing to welcome Stipe Miocic back to the cage over unifying the titles, Aspinall will defend his interim belt against Blaydes, who is heading back to enemy territory with a ‘business as usual’ approach…
Blaydes Explains Why UFC 304 Camp Has Been ‘Same Old’ Strategy
When asked about his preparation for the co-headliner on July 27, the 33-year-old Illinois native said it’s been a familiar story throughout fight camp, with no changes or additions based on his opposition.
“Conditioning (has been the focus in camp). That’s the same old,” Blaydes said. “I don’t adjust for anyone. I have prepared for this fight the same way I prepare for everyone. I don’t like to add extra adjustments, extra things to think about. There’s already a whole lot, we don’t need to add anything else.
“Just a normal, standard fight camp,” Blaydes continued. “Eight weeks of sparring, drilling, running, icing; normal stuff.”
Blaydes will hope that approach helps him to repeat the official result from his 2022 UFC Fight Night headliner against Aspinall, albeit in a more legitimate and emphatic way.
Polarizing UFC lightweight contender, Paddy Pimblett couldn’t hide his joy overnight as he watched England suffer defeat to Spain…
