UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has revealed that one of his most controversial training methods was in fact a ‘gag’.
The interim heavyweight title holder defends his belt against Curtis Blaydes tomorrow night at UFC 304, and has been leaving no stone left unturned in the build-up. He has built a bespoke team of big men to train with, and perfecting his diet and training as he prepares for a massive homecoming.
He and Blaydes have no personal animosity, but there is a deeper meaning for Aspinall whose sole UFC loss came against the American in 2022. That night he suffered a freak injury and was forced to stop the fight after just seconds, and he has been keen to set the result right ever since.
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Tom Aspinall details how Curtis Blaydes fight is now ‘personal’
The injury that Tom Aspinall suffered against Curtis Blaydes back in July of 2022 in London cost him a year of his career. Since then, he has gone on to become interim champion and pursue the likes of Jon Jones, but he has kept a spot in his vision for the renowned grappler.
Speaking with OLBG earlier this year, Aspinall said:. “I like Curtis Blaydes, but professionally, I want to beat him because he’s got a win over me when I got injured. I don’t know if the right word is ‘personal,’ but it is personal.
“But not in the way that I don’t like him as a person; it’s personal in a professional kind of way. I want to get that one back.”
Tom Aspinall has deep respect for Curtis Blaydes’ ability
During his pre-fight media scrum, Aspinall noted how aside from winning a belt at heavyweight, Blaydes has done essentially all there is to do at heavyweight. And he is taking the challenge very seriously, knowing his rival is one of the best in the world.
“I think the guy’s been in the top five or top ten for a long time,” he told the press after rubbishing his rival being branded as a ‘gatekeeper’. “He’s done basically everything there is to do apart from win a title.
“I respect him a lot, I respect what he’s all about, I respect him as a person, as an athlete and I have taken him very seriously in the build-up and I am taking this fight very, very seriously. I am not looking past him at all.”
Tom Aspinall admits he has been lying about UFC 304 training method
During an appearance on The MMA Hour earlier this month, Aspinall claimed to have been soaking his hands in petrol to harden his knuckles. It is said to be an ancient traveller method to strengthen bare-knuckle fighters.
He released a video yesterday to his YouTube channel where he called host Ariel Helwani. After seeming to initially show his dad pour out a bucket of petrol and putting his hands in it for a few seconds, he revealed that it was all a prank he had been playing on the journalist.
“We’re taking the p***, Ariel,” Aspinall can be seen saying on a FaceTime call. “It was all a big f***ing joke.” They were keen to keep up the ‘gag’, with Helwani sharing a photo of their call to social media where he claimed that he had just been given proof of the petrol hand routine.
His tweet read: “‘The Petrol Prince’ @AspinallMMA just called me whilst in bed to prove he is actually dipping his hands in petrol in the middle of the night to get ready for his title defense. Some man.”
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