Tom Aspinall’s journey to the top of the UFC heavyweight division may not have been as smooth as it seemed, as footage has emerged from 2016 of the Brit explaining how he was giving up MMA to focus on boxing.
This past Saturday, Tom Aspinall successfully defended his interim heavyweight title at UFC 304, avenging his only UFC loss against Curtis Blaydes.
Following his immensely impressive win, the Brit once again called for a fight against the undisputed heavyweight champion, Jon Jones.
Footage emerges of Tom Aspinall in 2016 declaring a move to boxing
Although Aspinall’s journey to become the UFC champion may have seemed like a smooth one, it didn’t come without its doubts, as in 2016, the Atherton native considered quitting MMA entirely to focus on boxing full-time.
In 2016, the 22-year-old at the time was fighting on the UK regional scene for BAMMA and Full Contact Contender, still learning the trade and trying to get his feet wet in the sport.
At the time, Aspinall was training with Tyson Fury and his team, and this resulted in him deciding to realign his focus purely on the sport of boxing.
“It’s not my first day here, I’ve been coming to do the sparring, but it’s the first day I’ve decided to focus solely on boxing, it’s time to learn the trade now,” Aspinall stated in an interview with Box Nation.
“I’ve been doing MMA for a long time, I’ve been struggling to make it pay financially and just not getting many rewards from it because I’m struggling to get fights, so it’s time to switch over and do boxing… it’s time to learn just the art of boxing now,” the Brit continued.
Aspinall did in fact go on to compete in boxing a year later winning his boxing debut via a first-round TKO. Fortunately, though, he was then given a chance to compete in Cage Warriors, which ultimately led to him earning his opportunity in the UFC.
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Tom Aspinall hopeful of a fight against Jon Jones
Aspinall is now one of the biggest stars in the sport of MMA, atop the UFC heavyweight division. It is believed by many top personalities in the sport, that he can become the greatest fighter of all time.
And to cement that possibility, Aspinall wants to fight the man who is considered the GOAT, Jones.
Following his win over Blaydes, Aspinall vs Jones is one of the most requested fights by the UFC fanbase, especially as people want to see the title unified.
‘Bones’ has never really seemed keen on the idea, however, after Saturday night’s performance, he posted a cryptic message on X, saying: “Supply and demand at its finest, I love it.”
The meaning behind the message is relatively unclear, and Jones will likely defend his title against Stipe Miocic in November, with his future following that unknown.
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