Tom Aspinall has been unstoppable inside the UFC Octagon, but there’s one fighter he would be unable to get the better of
Tom Aspinall is already regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time(Image: Getty Images)
Tom Aspinall has been virtually unstoppable in the UFC, yet maintains he would certainly lose to ‘prime’ Daniel Cormier.
Since arriving at the promotion in 2020, the Wigan fighter has practically steamrolled through every opponent inside the Octagon. His sole setback in the UFC occurred in 2022 when he sustained a bizarre knee injury whilst facing Curtis Blaydes. He made his comeback to the cage twelve months later, demolishing Marcin Tybura in barely over sixty seconds at the O2.
Aspinall subsequently captured the interim heavyweight crown against Sergei Pavlovich in November 2023 before triumphantly retaining the belt against Blaydes in July 2024. The British finishing specialist was then expected to clash with Jon Jones for the outright championship, but ‘Bones’ openly refused to commit to battling Aspinall before ultimately hanging up his gloves earlier this year.
The 32-year-old was subsequently elevated to outright champion. He has since been tipped to rule the division for years ahead, yet according to the fighter himself, peak Cormier would have halted him, reports All Out Fighting.
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‘DC’ – a former light-heavyweight king – secured the heavyweight crown in 2018 after flattening Stipe Miocic. Cormier’s superior grappling and devastating strength during his prime era proved troublesome for numerous competitors. Speaking on the ShxtsnGigs podcast, when questioned if there’s any fighter, past or present, he believes he would fall to if they clashed, Aspinall responded: “Yeah, you know, Daniel Cormier.
“Peak DC has the worst style for me ever. He’s like short – I’ve said this to his face – short guy who just keeps walking forward, changing levels in between grappling and punches. You can’t take him down, and he’s got cardio for days. For my style, he’s a nightmare. He was a beast. Peak DC was unreal.”
Aspinall is poised to step back into the Octagon later this month and will put his belt on the line against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 on October 25. Speaking at a pre-fight press conference, Aspinall delivered a menacing warning to his forthcoming opponent, declaring: “I think if I hit anybody, I can knock anybody out. And I think that Ciryl is no exception. Obviously, there are some weaknesses in his ground game that we’ve seen, but I’m sure he’s improved. This is an MMA fight. It can go anywhere, so I’m sure we’ll both be ready for anything.”
He continued: “I think the biggest difference is we’re both better. We’re both better now than we were a few years ago. We both have a lot more experience. You know, Ciryl has had two title shots already. I defended the interim title and now hold the undisputed title.
“So I think this fight is going to be better, and I think it’s pretty rare that you see any guys of our size that move like we do. I think this is really like the new age of the heavyweights, and people are really going to start to see the difference now between guys like us and guys 10 years ago.”
When is Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane?
Aspinall’s face-off with Gane is scheduled for 25 October at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, headlining the UFC 321 pay-per-view card. Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida are also set to compete at the event, seemingly vying for the top heavyweight contender spot.
A light-heavyweight clash between Aleksandar Rakic and Azamat Murzakanov has been confirmed, while Mitch Raposo will square off against Azat Maksum. The co-main event features Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern battling it out for the vacant women’s strawweight title.
TNT Sports subscribers can catch the preliminary card on TNT Sports 4 and TNT Sports Box Office from 5pm UK time (12pm ET / 9am PT / 11am CT). The main card is due to kick off at 7pm UK time (2pm ET / 11am PT / 1pm CT). In the main event, Gane is expected to enter the cage first around 9:30pm UK time (4:30pm ET / 1:30pm PT / 3:30pm), with Aspinall following shortly after. Please note, all fight times are subject to change depending on the duration of the undercard. Fans in the UK and Ireland can exclusively watch the main card live on TNT Sports Box Office for a fee of £19.99.