Tom Aspinall explains why he is ecstatic to be fighting in the same arena he got injured in last year
Tom Aspinall is one of the most promising heavyweight contenders in the UFC right now. The Brit is part of a new generation of 'hybrid' heavyweights, who are able to move with the speed of a light heavyweight whilst still possessing immense KO power.
Aspinall has been out with injury for almost a year after tearing several ligaments in his knee in the opening seconds of his bout with Curtis Blaydes. The pair headlined the UFC London card in July 2022, and Tom Aspinall will once again be the main event at this year's UFC London.
The event will take place exactly one year on from Aspinall's injury, and he will take on Marcin Tybura upon his return.
During a recent interview with TheMacLife, the budding heavyweight contender explained why he is happy to be fighting in the same arena that he got injured in:
"This is the ideal situation for me, fighting in London. I think a lot of people would look at it and be like, 'That's where this bad thing happened. I'm not going to do it there again.' But I'm like, 'Bro, send me back to the scene of the crime. Let's do it again, let's right that wrong.' To be honest, I feel like my spirit is a little bit disturbed until I go out there and beat someone up."
Watch the interview below from 7:30:
Tom Aspinall explains the difference in his mindset pre-injury and post-surgery
Tom Aspinall exploded onto the scene with five finishes in his first five UFC fights and put the heavyweight division on notice. The Brit won four performance bonuses in his first five fights and appeared to be destined for a title shot.
But disaster struck at UFC London last year when Aspinall tore several ligaments in his knee. He has recently completed his rehabilitation on the injury and will face Marcin Tybura in the main event of UFC London in July.
During a recent interview with BT Sport, Aspinall broke down the major change in his mindset following his devastating injury:
"Pre-injury Tom Aspinall and post-surgery Tom Aspinall are two completely different people to be honest with you... I think that before [the injury] everything was going well and I was just really blasé about the whole thing, like, 'Ah, yeah another fight, yeah go on then why not? We'll do this.' Or just sailing through it. And I didn't realize how much I loved this sport until it was potentially taken away from me... And now I wake up every morning and I can't wait to go and train."
Watch the interview below from 7:25: