"I can see why" - Tom Aspinall breaks down Demetrious Johnson's claim that Anthony Joshua could beat Francis Ngannou in MMA
Tom Aspinall has shared his thoughts on Demetrious Johnson's recent claim that Anthony Joshua could defeat Francis Ngannou in MMA with only six months of training.
Johnson took the MMA world by surprise with his comments, which came in the wake of Joshua's emphatic knockout victory over 'The Predator' in their much anticipated boxing match on March 8.
'Mighty Mouse' pointed to the fact that an MMA bout between Ngannou and 'AJ' would likely be a striking contest anyway. Given the Brit's immense athletic abilities, Johnson believes that Joshua could gain the necessary skills to keep the fight standing long enough to find the knockout blow.
The UFC interim heavyweight champion was recently interviewed by Michael Bisping, who asked his fellow Mancunian to share his thoughts on Johnson's comments. He said:
"That has surprised me. I can see why he's said that, with Francis Ngannou's style, because he does predominantly throw hands in MMA. But I would have thought someone like [Johnson] would have been... He might be saying it for headlines. I don't know... But just because you don't use it in a fight doesn't mean you can't do it."
Watch Tom Aspinall's interview below from 12:40:
Tom Aspinall comes face-to-face with Jon Jones in England
Tom Aspinall defeated Sergei Pavlovich in stunning fashion to become the interim heavweight champion at UFC 295.
The pay-per-view card was initially headlined by Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, a clash between the consensus best MMA fighter ever and the best heavyweight fighter of all time.
But a month before their scheduled clash 'Bones' suffered a torn pectoral muscle and tendon, and the bout was canceled.
Following the Mancunian's interim title victory, he campaigned for a matchup against either Jones, the undisputed champion, or Miocic, depending on who was available first.
But after numerous unsuccessful attempts to pursuade the UFC brass to organize either bout, he took a step back from his call-outs. In a meeting that has drawn much attention from MMA fans, the 30-year-old recently came face-to-face with 'Bones' at an event in England.
A video of their interaction was posted online by TheMacLife, which showed Jones sharing a cordial interaction with the interim champion.
Watch Tom Aspinall's interaction with Jon Jones below: