The fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic is officially off. The revelation that they will no longer be in the octagon in November is incredibly disheartening to fans. However, instead, we will get an interim heavyweight title fight between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich. It is an excellent fight in its own right and will likely be entertaining. Of course, these two fighters will take the contest on short notice. However, when speaking on the MMA Hour, Aspinall said he didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity.
The Rise Of Tom Aspinall
Aspinall is an incredible fighter and has taken the UFC by storm since joining the MMA juggernaut. He is a highly well-rounded fighter and is comfortable wherever the fight takes him. He is one of the top heavyweights in the division today and has beaten many of its best contenders. A title shot for Aspinall seems to be a matter of when not if. The Englishman will move closer to undisputed gold if he wins in Madison Square Garden.
Aspinall On Taking The Fight
As it was a short notice call, some fighters may have turned down the opportunity, but speaking on the MMA Hour, Aspinall said to turn down the fight never crossed his mind.
“The media and the fans, they all see one thing, which is people taking fights. But behind the scenes, many people turn down fights, mate, and that’s well known within, like, fighter circles and stuff,” Aspinall said. “I know a sh*tload of people at the top level have turned down Pavlovich, and I’m out here taking it on two weeks’ notice. No questions asked; ask the UFC. They asked me at 2 A.M. with no training camp, and I’m like, yeah, no problem.
“Didn’t ask about a contract, didn’t ask about money, nothing. I just said yeah, and there’s not a lot of people out there doing that,” Aspinall continued. “A lot of people are just, they’re ducking fights quite frankly, and me, half asleep at 4 A.M. with no notice, goes, ‘Yep, no problem. I’ll fight the scariest guy in the UFC, who no one else wants to fight, who’s knocking everyone out. I’ll do that no problem,’ and I think I should be getting some goddamn credit for it.”
Quotes via MMA News
As previously stated, Aspinall is an incredible talent, and this is the next step to further his legacy in the sport.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
