Cutting down to light heavyweight could be fatal for UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall
UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall has revealed that he will never be able to compete at light heavyweight as doctors have suggested the move could be fatal.
Aspinall is one of British MMA's biggest prospects. In just six fights in the UFC, he has found himself amongst the heavyweight division's top 10 fighters. The 29-year-old was on a seriously impressive streak since making his debut in 2020, winning the first five of his bouts with a mixture of submissions and TKO victories.
The Manchester-born fighter was then rewarded for his performances last summer as he was booked to main-event the second UFC London card of 2022 and face Curtis Blaydes. Unfortunately, disaster struck for Aspinall early in the first round as he suffered a freak knee injury that handed him his first UFC loss.
Now nearing his return to the octagon following surgery and recovery, Tom Aspinall sat down with Jamal Niaz to discuss his plans for the future and addressed rumors of a potential move to light heavyweight.
The 29-year-old immediately laughed off the rumors and revealed he's been told it's impossible for him to fight in any other weight class:
"The weight limit is 93 kilos for light heavy and the doctors said if I go any less than 102 kilos, my organs will start to shut down... I'm not an overly musclebound guy... I'm just a heavy guy. I'm 6'5, I'm 260 pounds, that's 117-118 kilos... I'm not losing f***ing 55 pounds! No chance!"
Catch the interview here (14:40):
When Chael Sonnen referred to Tom Aspinall as the best heavyweight in the division
Following his injury at UFC London last year, Tom Aspinall received high praise from former two-weight title challenger Chael Sonnen.
Aspinall had the perfect start to his UFC career as he made his debut in 2020 and won two fights back-to-back with first-round finishes. The 29-year-old then stepped up his performances as he earned a Peformance of the Night bonus in his next three outings, most notably defeating former champion Andrei Arlovski via second-round submission.
Despite the freak injury that occurred against Blaydes, Chael Sonnen at the time stated it didn't hamper his opinion of the British fighter. 'The American Gangster' even went as far as to describe Tom Aspinall as the "best" heavyweight fighter out there:
"We got an update on Tom Aspinall's knee... that's okay. I mean, that's gonna hurt, that's gonna slow you down, but in some regards, it's good news... 15-second contest, I thought going into that fight, I felt in my heart, Tom might be the best heavyweight out there... I now know that I'm right. Even in those 15 seconds, I now know that I'm right... Six months. Six months until you're back full training, back in the ring within eight months."
Catch what Sonnen had to say about Aspinall in the video below: