Exclusive: Tom Aspinall eyeing 'greatness' against Sergei Pavlovich and predicts 'massive knockout' in UFC 295 fight
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 08/11/2023 at 09:48 GMT
There is “nowhere else in the world” Tom Aspinall would rather be than in the octagon facing Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight title at Madison Square Gardens on Saturday, live on TNT Sports. The 30-year-old is confident ahead of his “most dangerous fight” against the Russian, despite the short notice. “This plays out with a massive knockout and my hand getting raised,” he predicted.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Tom Aspinall of England stands in his corner prior to facing Marcin Tybura of Poland in their heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night at The O2 Arena on July 22, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via
Image credit: Eurosport
Tom Aspinall returns to the octagon on Saturday night at UFC 295 for a heavyweight clash with Sergei Pavlovich and says there’s "nowhere else in the world" he’d rather be.
Aspinall and Pavlovich lock horns at Madison Square Gardens, live on TNT Sports, with the interim heavyweight title on the line.
Aspinall, 30, was called up on two-and-a-half weeks’ notice to step in for Jon Jones, whose title defence fight against Stipe Miocic was called off due to the former sustaining an injury.
As the first Englishman to fight for the belt, Aspinall is relishing the challenge that lies ahead of him.
“I’m seeing another day closer to greatness,” Aspinall told TNT Sports’ Adam Catterall.
“I’m seeing another day closer to my dream. I’d rather fight him on Saturday night at Madison Square Gardens than anything else in the world.
"I absolutely love this sport. I love this city. MSG is somewhere that I’ve always wanted to fight and I think he’s the ideal dance partner for me, I absolutely love this fight.”
Despite branding the bout as the “most dangerous fight in the UFC”, Aspinall remains confident he can deliver a knockout blow.
“This plays out with a massive knockout and my hand getting raised,” he predicted, confidently. “A finish is inevitable on either side, it’s heavyweight MMA.
“We’re talking about two of the most dangerous guys in the UFC. I’ve got the shortest fight time average in the UFC, he’s got the second, which is absolutely insane. We’ve both got a 100 per cent finish rate which is insane. I think it comes down to fight IQ and mine is better.”
Asked where the fight ranks, Aspinall added: “This is the most dangerous fight for anybody in the UFC in my opinion. He’s the most dangerous guy in the UFC.
“I came into it in the worst circumstances possible, but I obviously think I’m going to win or else I wouldn’t have signed the contract.”
Aspinall says his preparation with the likes of Mick Parkin and Rico Verhoeven has helped him get into shape and ready for the call-up at short notice.
“I would have never done this before. Absolutely not,” he insisted. “It’s a testament to my training. I’ve done some sparring which I wouldn’t usually be doing.
“My body is in a really, really good spot. Ideally, I’m not going to lie, I would have liked longer to train, of course. It’s a world title fight, I would have loved 10 weeks. But we don’t live in an ideal world and as corny as it might sound, you’ve got to be in it to win it.
“If I’m not here, I’m never going to win the title.
"There’s absolutely nowhere else in the world I’d rather be than in there fighting on Saturday, and mate, it takes one shot. I believe that I can land it.”
Although he exudes confidence, Aspinall is well aware of the threats Pavlovich possesses.
“He’s got a lot of power, obviously. I think something his opponent’s miss is that he picks the right shots at the right time. We’re all heavyweights, all of us have got power, it takes one shot from any of us.
“But not everybody has a resume that he’s got, which is loads of knockouts on the record, because he picks the right shots at the right moments. He’s clever, he’s clever with his attack. He’s dangerous everywhere.”
Aspinall has also revealed that TNT Sports expert Michael Bisping had been in touch to give some "great advice" ahead of Saturday’s showdown.
“Usually me and him we’re on each other's case, winding each other up and whatnot,” he said. “But he actually gave me some really good advice and was like ‘listen, this is not about two and a half weeks’.
“I’ve been involved in martial arts since I was eight years old, I’m 30. He said ‘this is about the last 20 plus years of your life. You've spent your life doing this and made loads of sacrifices.’ I thought it was a really solid piece of advice.”
- - -
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement