"Absolutely destroys in every facet" - Former heavyweight suspects "speed" and "pressure" to be a problem as he predicts Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane
Brendan Schaub thinks that Tom Aspinall has a huge advantage over Ciryl Gane in almost every aspect of the game. Ciryl Gane is vulnerable on the ground while Aspinall has shown to be competitive on the feet while possessing a lethal ground game.
During a recent episode of The Brendan Schaub Show, the former UFC heavyweight said that Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic retiring after their scheduled title fight at UFC 295 is a real possibility. In that event, Tom Aspinall and former interim champion Ciryl Gane will be the frontrunners for the vacant UFC heavyweight title. Schaub thinks that Tom Aspinall could be a horrible matchup for the Frenchman.
“We are left with Ciryl Gane who I think h absolutely destroys in every facet. I think his speed, his timing, his athleticism, his overall MMA IQ, his ability to not only stand with Ciryl Gane… He’s not going to outstrike him but I think he does some things better on the feet than Ciryl Gane. Not his kicks obviously. But I think his speed would be a problem for Ciryl Gane, his pressure would be a problem," Schaub said.
While the stand-up can be competitive, ‘The Hybrid’ stated that Gane might not have anything to offer Aspinall on the ground:
“But the biggest issue for Ciryl Gane is his ability to adapt from striking to wrestling to grappling. Once it hits the ground, Cyril Gane’s a white belt that we saw with Jon Jones…”
You can watch Brendan Schaub discuss the topic from the 8:25 mark of the video below:
Michael Bisping thinks Jon Jones should not retire before fighting Tom Aspinall
Tom Aspinall’s win over Marcin Tybura at UFC London certainly caught reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ attention. The duo went back and forth on social media, giving rise to a new ‘rivalry’ in the heavyweight division. Jones is slated to defend his title against heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November. However, both Miocic and Jones have hinted at retirement in the foreseeable future.
Calls for Jones to defend the belt against a rising contender like Aspinall are growing louder. While speaking to Sky Sports in a recent interview, former middleweight king Michael Bisping gave his take on the situation. He said:
"[Jon Jones] becomes the champ, beats the greatest of all the time in terms of heavyweight. But he walks away, there will always be talks of, he didn't wanna fight Tom. You should fight the top prospect, and then what else is there to do? And if he can pull that off, Jon Jones, without a question will be the greatest of all time."
Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall has his eyes set on the winner of the upcoming fight between Ciryl Gane and Sergey Spivak. In the event of Jones and Micoic’s potential retirement, it is likely that the winner of Gane vs Spivak and Tom Aspinall might end up fighting for the vacant title.