British UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall seemed on track to compete for a title until disaster struck. In his last UFC appearance, at the most recent UFC London event, Aspinall headlined in a clash with Curtis Blaydes. Only seconds into the fight, Aspinal sustained a brutal knee injury that has kept the Mancunian out of the Octagon ever since. In a recent interview with OLBG, Aspinall discussed the possibility – or lack thereof – of a return to action at the next London event.
“My ego wants to go, ‘Stick me on the card, I’m good to go,’ but I need to think long term, which I’ve not been doing and need to get everything right,” Aspinall said in an interview with OLBG.
Aspinall: UFC London Return “Unlikely” but Not Impossible
I’m not ruling it out [fighting at UFC London]. At the minute, it’s still like 14-15 weeks away. And at this point, I’ve not done much heavy training. It’s just been rehab really. But can I get ready in 14 weeks? The answer is yes. Will I be ready to start a title run in 14 weeks? I don’t know. And if I don’t know, that’s not the answer I’m looking for. It’s highly unlikely but not a complete no at this point.”
Aspinall, now 29, does not want to take any risks with his recovery. Aspinall wants to make a run at the UFC heavyweight title, and won’t be returning to action until his knee is fully healed.
“I can’t afford for that to happen again. I’m not talking about finances, I’m talking about my ego. My ego can’t take that again. Me on my back, clutching onto my knee, it’s just not going to happen again. There’s just no chance I can let that happen again. The knee has to be 1 million percent.
I’m not kicking just yet, but I’ve been doing a bit of sparring and stuff. I can full-on wrestle now, which is great. I literally started that this week. I’m looking to get signed off by the physio in eight to 12 weeks, he reckons, completely signed off and back to full-on training. I’m really happy with it all.”
While Aspinall, prior to the injury, appeared happy to slowly build momentum towards the heavyweight title, this recent setback seems to have given the towering British fighter a more competitive outlook.
Do you think we’ll see Tom Aspinall back in action this year, or will fans have to wait a little longer? Let us know in the comments.
