"You don't know what his wrestling was like before" - Tom Aspinall cites Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane, and claims fighters can be more well-rounded than they appear
Tom Aspinall has cited UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou’s fight against Ciryl Gane in January as an example to highlight the well-roundedness of today's UFC heavyweights.
During his appearance on the latest edition of the Submission Radio, Aspinall was asked which other heavyweight he believes is as well-rounded as him. Aspinall responded by suggesting that most current UFC heavyweights are skilled in all aspects of MMA.
The Ngannou-Gane fight notably witnessed Ngannou, a widely-revered striker, utilize his wrestling skills to defeat Gane via unanimous decision. Aspinall insinuated that the champ's grappling surprised many, as Ngannou proved to be a well-rounded fighter.
Francis Ngannou found himself down on the scorecards but turned to his wrestling and dug deep to beat Cyril Gane 🏆
A five-round heavyweight battle at #UFC270! https://t.co/8KJjfmHFlF
Furthermore, Aspinall said that since most UFC fighters usually compete just twice a year, they “get a very short window of opportunity” to showcase the different aspects of their skillset. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean they aren’t well-rounded. Aspinall stated:
“Heavyweights are getting better and better, aren’t they, these days? Heavyweights, in my opinion, the heavyweights of today are the best that they’ve ever been. I don’t know, but just because people haven’t seen how well-rounded they are, doesn’t mean that they’re not well-rounded."
Like, if you look at Francis Ngannou when he fought Ciryl Gane, everyone was like, "Oh, his wrestling’s come on so much.’ And it’s like, well, you don’t know what his wrestling was like before because he never really used it. He might have always been good at wrestling. Who knows?”
Watch Aspinall discuss the topic at 15:45 in the video below:
Tom Aspinall on Francis Ngannou’s contract dispute with the UFC
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will reportedly return from his knee injury hiatus in early 2023. Ngannou has expressed his wish to re-sign with the UFC if he’s given better pay. In addition, Ngannou has been lobbying for a hybrid-rules fight with boxing great Tyson Fury.
In an interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Aspinall recently weighed in on the Ngannou-UFC contract dispute.
Aspinall asserted that he’s unfazed by the UFC status of ‘The Predator.’ Emphasizing that he’s focused on Blaydes, he noted that he’s still got a long way to go before fighting Ngannou. Aspinall said:
"Do you wanna know my honest opinion? I don't really care at all, like that. I think Francis Ngannou is very dangerous but like for me right now, I feel like he's way above me anyway. Like, I've got so much work to do before I get there."
Watch Aspinall’s interview below:
Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall will face Curtis Blaydes in a pivotal heavyweight clash that’ll headline UFC London on July 23.