"Someone...who has never called me before" - Tom Aspinall hilariously recounts missing a call from top UFC official for Sergei Pavlovich fight
This weekend at UFC 295, UK-based heavyweight Tom Aspinall is set for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Aspinall will face off with Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight title, following the cancellation of the bout between current champ Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.
Given that the Liverpool-based heavyweight has an octagon record of 6-1, with his only loss coming due to a knee injury, there’s a good chance that Tom Aspinall does indeed claim the title.
After all, the last time we saw him in action, he thoroughly demolished tough veteran Marcin Tybura, sending fans into a frenzy.
In a recent interview with TNT Sports, though, Aspinall revealed that he almost slept through the call from the UFC offering him this weekend’s title bout with Pavlovich.
Comically, the UK-based heavyweight stated the following:
“I got the call early in the morning, so I was sleeping, and it was off someone really high up in the UFC...not Dana White, but someone really high up who’s never called me before. I could hear my phone vibrating at the side of me and I was like, that’s weird someone ringing me at that time so I picked it up, and as I picked it up I seen the person’s name and it went off, it stopped ringing. I thought, right, I’m just gonna go back to sleep, it’s like 6am, I’ve got a few hours...and then my mind starts going...and I was like, someone’s pulling out of New York here...I was supposed to be going on holiday the next day...he rung me back at 4am the following night and he told me what’s going on, Jon Jones is injured so...uh, you and Big Pavvers [Sergei Pavlovich] in MSG and I said I’m in!”
Watch Tom Aspinall discuss this below:
Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich: is Aspinall in shape for this fight?
The upcoming interim heavyweight title bout between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 was put together on relatively short notice.
Due to this, Aspinall was asked in his recent interview with TNT Sports whether he’s in shape for the fight.
The UK-based heavyweight stated that the “old me” would never have taken the fight on short notice, but despite claiming he’d have liked longer to train, he stated his body is “really in a good spot”.
Listen to Aspinall talk about his shape below: