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Any diehard MMA fans will have noticed Tom Aspinall’s rise to stardom in the UFC. Initially joining the promotion from Cage Warriors, Aspinall’s talent was evident as soon as he stepped into the Octagon. In fact, many fans and experts think he is now the man to beat in the heavyweight division despite highly anticipated fights to come, with Jon Jones against Stipe Miocic hogging the limelight in the division right now.
Aspinall has already shown that he fears none of his rivals. A huge fight with the winner of Jones against Miocic could be on the cards, with Jones being priced as the favorite when looking at UFC odds, although Stipe Miocic represents great value at +410. Regardless of the outcome between the two veterans, Tom Aspinall has the tools to see off both fighters. As the British man has already demonstrated on numerous occasions, he is one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC right now.
While Jon Jones will continually play down Aspinall’s ability, many feel he’s refusing to entertain a potential match-up with Aspinall as he’s afraid of tarnishing his legacy and leaving the sport with a loss. Jones is arguably the best fighter ever, but that isn’t at heavyweight. For many fans, Aspinall is the best heavyweight in the world right now. Here’s why below.
Tom Aspinall has momentum on his side
As fans witnessed against the likes of Alexander Volkov and Sergei Pavlovich, Tom Aspinall wins in style, and he wins quickly. While we haven’t seen him go deep into the rounds yet, the Salford-born fighter has the capabilities to do so. Under the tutelage of his father Andy, no stone is left unturned. He trains to go the distance, but he has simply been too good for his opponents in recent years, with a record of 15-3-0. With momentum on his side, Tom Aspinall is full of confidence, and he has the ability to pull off memorable wins, be it against Jon Jones or even Alex Pereira.
Aspinall is fast and powerful
While every heavyweight in the UFC possesses knockout power, nobody has the speed and movement the English fighter has. Aspinall moves like a lightweight, and he has fantastic footwork. As powerful strikers like Pavlovich found out, Aspinall isn’t afraid to attack from the off and land devastating blows. No matter what his opponents plan in the build-up to fights, they simply can’t combat his fast starts and his undeniable power. Together, it’s a truly lethal combination.
He’s a unit
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Particularly when assessing any potential mega-fight with Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall is bigger than any opponent Jones has ever faced before. Some fighters can use their sheer size to their advantage, and Aspinall is no different in that respect, but he also has the technique and all-around understanding of MMA to go with it. Similar in many respects to former UFC fighters like Francis Ngannou and Brock Lesnar, Aspinall’s size is also a factor in many of the fights he takes part in. A former rugby player, Aspinall’s strength will be a problem for many fighters during his career. Simply put, he’s incredibly strong.
Aspinall is hungry for success
While his speed, size, power, and all-round education in MMA makes Tom Aspinall the formidable fighter he is today, he also has the attitude to go with it. Aspinall wants to go down as the best heavyweight the sport has seen. Recently, he said: “I want to be the best heavyweight ever and that’s what I’m working towards.” A motivated Tom Aspinall is a scary proposition.