"How can any heavyweight stay on their feet when he tries to take them down" - Dan Hardy provides last-minute breakdown of Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes
With the headliner of UFC London fast approaching, Dan Hardy has given his final breakdown of how he believes the heavyweight clash between Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes will play out.
The ongoing event is the second UK-based UFC card of the year, and just like the first, it will be headlined by the British heavyweight. Despite not being the main event, many are tuning in to watch the incredibly popular Paddy Pimblett in his third fight inside the octagon.
Just hours before the UFC London main card unfolds, Dan Hardy shared a last-minute look into the Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes matchup. He explained why 'Razor' could prove to be a difficult test for the 29-year-old, and vice-versa:
"Most definitely [Tom Aspinall's] toughest fight to date. Curtis Blaydes is ranked No.4 in the division. He's bringing in a really, really strong wrestling skillset, [he's got] 62 takedowns in his UFC career so far... You look at Curtis Blaydes and you think to yourself, 'How can any heavyweight stay on their feet when he tries to take them down?'"
"His power double is almost undeniable, but Tom's got great footwork and he's got great counter-striking... But, if there's not space to counter-strike, then we'll see what his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt looks like when it hits the floor."
An impressive win for either heavyweight would put them in with a claim for the next shot at UFC gold. Furthermore, considering Francis Ngannou has no standout opponent for his octagon return, this is the perfect opportunity for one of the two to stake a claim at 'The Predator'.
Check out what Dan Hardy had to say about Aspinall's bout against Blaydes in the video below:
"How can any heavyweight stay on their feet when he tries to take them down."
@danhardymma believes Curtis Blaydes will give Tom Aspinall his toughest fight to date.
#UFCLondon https://t.co/2hK5FhLcit
Tom Aspinall's UFC career so far
Tom Aspinall has taken no time to rise up the rankings at heavyweight since joining the UFC back in 2020. He will be looking to assert himself in the top 5 of the division with a win later tonight.
He began his first year in the octagon with back-to-back first-round finishes of Jake Collier and Alan Baudot, signaling the beginning of something special in the weight class.
After submitting Andrei Arlovski in the second round during his next outing, the Team Kaobon representative continued to run through his opponents. He took out Sergey Spivak and Alexander Volkov with a further two first-round wins.