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Boxing Tom Aspinall Ahead of UFC 295: ‘I’d Love to Fight Jon Jones’
UFC 295 takes place this Saturday, November 11th at Madison Square Garden and Heavyweight Tom Aspinall takes on the Russian knockout machine Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event.
This will be an interim Heavyweight title bout between two of the top ascending talents in the MMA world and the winner will be getting a title shot.
Tom Aspinall recently gave an interview for bet365’s show ‘Full Circle’ where he talked about his UFC journey, mental health, his dream fight of taking on Jon Jones and more.
Below you will find the entire interview courtesy of Full Circle with Bet365 as well as some of the highlighted questions and answers. Visit our Expert Insights section for more daily information & expert predictions.
- Full Interview with Tom Aspinall
- Aspinall on Himself, Pavlovich and Gane ruling the roost
- His ultimate dream fight with Jon Jones
- The New Tom Aspinall 2.0 and Becoming Heavyweight King
- Overcoming Psychological Demons
- What makes him better than the rest
- Making it to the UFC
- Safer Gambling Week
Full Interview with Tom Aspinall
Aspinall on Himself, Pavlovich and Gane ruling the roost: ‘It’s all political’
“It is. My rise has been fast you see, even though I’ve had a year off it’s been quite fast. It is hard to accept because I’m really healthy now, I’m on a comeback and I’m on a roll, everything’s good. I’ve got a lot of hype behind me and it’s like let’s do something. At the same time, it’s hard.”
“Yeah, it’s all political. It’s political at the top and you have to be smart about stuff and I understand that. I want the heavyweight title and I believe there are two guys. He’s around the same age as me, early 30’s. Not even in our prime; me v Pavlovich, people like that. Me, Pavlovich and Gane.”
His ultimate dream fight with Jon Jones: ‘…that is my dream fight’
“I’d love to fight Jon Jones, that is my dream fight. I would love that because he’s one of my absolute heroes of the sport and yeah, I’d just love it. Do I believe it’s going to happen? I believe in a lot of stuff in my career, and I also believe that believing in it helps me get stuff too. I’m one of them weirdos who manifest things and if I set my intentions on something and believe in it strongly enough and work towards it, then everything’s kind of going in the right path and it’s got more chance of happening. I do believe that.”
“Do I believe Jon Jones is going to stick around and I’m going to get my dream fight with him? I don’t know, I’m not 100% convinced that he’s going to stick around to be honest with you.”
The New Tom Aspinall 2.0 and Becoming Heavyweight King: ‘I feel like a different person’
“When I got injured I decided listen, I’m all in on this stuff now and I’m completely all in. Everything’s right, the training is going to be right, the people around me are going to be 100% working towards where I’m going, my diet’s going to be right, my preparation’s going to be right, my sleep’s going to be right. Everything.”
“Everything that I can do, because if I do take a loss along the way, I can at least look myself in the mirror and go listen, I tried my absolute best and I came up short. I honestly think, cameras on or off, no matter who I’m talking to and I’m not saying it for hype, I’m not saying it to big myself up; I honestly think I can be the best heavyweight in the world.”
“Yeah, it’s 2.0. It is way different, so I never wanted to get on the mic and be like “I’m back” because I don’t feel the same as I was before the injury. I feel like a different person and I know that sounds like I’m over-exaggerating it or something, but I feel like mentally and physically I just rebuilt myself so much in that year. The stuff that I did then, and the people that I was around then, I just don’t relate to them anymore. I’m just different now.”
Overcoming Psychological Demons: ‘It made me want to quit the sport’
“Depressing, horrendous. Absolutely horrendous. It made me want to quit the sport for a little while.”
“For a couple of days (after the injury) I didn’t want to carry on. I fell out with everything and everyone for a little. It’s just not very nice mate, it’s just horrendous to lay on the floor on your back in front of 22,000 of your own fans with a knee that is numb, locked up, being unable to move it and knowing that I was supposed to go away. I was supposed to go and see family in Poland for about a month, I was going to do a little tour of Poland to see family and friends and everything, the Mrs was already out there with the kids and I had to cancel that. I had to go down to London and get surgery, and recover for a year, and it’s not ideal. I thought I was going to get a big old win bonus and go and enjoy myself in Poland and see the family and friends for like a month It wasn’t meant to be, but to be honest I’m really grateful that it happened because I’m way different now in a more positive light. I’m really happy with everything.”
What makes him better than the rest: ‘I’m just on a different level to guys like Tybura…’
“It was nice to go out there (against Tybura) and show how much better I am because he wasn’t in the fight for one second, it was a short fight, and he wasn’t in the fight for one second. I don’t mean to look down on him, but I’m just on a different level to guys like Tybura, I’m a top-five guy and a future Champion. I’m not fighting guys towards the top 10 or top 15, I’m better than them guys.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m a heavyweight and anyone can beat anybody on the day because it’s a dangerous sport and we wear little gloves and there’s so many variables in a way to win. I’m not saying that I’m unbeatable, I’m definitely not, but I’m saying when it comes to an actual level of MMA skill that I’m better than them lower down guys.”
Making it to the UFC: ‘I wasn’t even surprised, you know…’
“I wasn’t even surprised, you know. When I came back from boxing I was just like I’m going to make this work and that’s it. I had no other choice because I had my twins, then I already have my older son, and I had the intention of getting to the UFC and I’m making it work. There were no two ways about it, this was going to work for me and there was no doubt in me then. When I came back from boxing, I had a little dabble at that, and I was like that’s not for me. I’m going to come back and I’m going to make it work. After I won my second Cage Warriors fight, the UFC were on the phone and wanted me in. I was like all right let’s do it, no problem.”
“There was no tears moment, or ‘oh my God’ moment, it was like yeah this is where I’m supposed to be so let’s do it.”
“I don’t want to sound cocky or anything because it wasn’t like that, but I literally just decided that this is going to work for me and there was no variable. I was just like, came back from boxing, I’m going to make this work and that’s it. Nothing’s coming in the way of it now, and nothing’s changed since. This is going to work for me and nothing’s stopping me, I’m going to be the heavyweight champion and that’s it.”
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