"Two years ago, I was absolutely dead broke" - Tom Aspinall credits lack of depth in heavyweight division for his quick rise to title contention

Tom Aspinall finds himself in title contention with just five fights inside the octagon [Francis Ngannou image via @francisngannou on Instagram; Aspinall images via @tomaspinallofficial on Instagram]

Within two years, Tom Aspinall has gone from being "absolutely dead broke" to headlining UFC London twice in the span of a few months, in front of a sold-out crowd at the O2 Arena in London.

Having already headlined a Fight Night event in London amid much fanfare back in March, Aspinall is set to perform in front of his compatriots again this weekend. He will be taking on fellow contender Curtis Blaydes in a heavyweight clash that could determine the next title challenger in the division.

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According to Aspinall, his quick rise to title contention was accentuated by the lack of depth in the heavyweight division. He explained that picking up a few wins against ranked contenders could land UFC heavyweights in title contention.

During a recent interaction with Sportskeeda MMA's Daniel Vreeland, Tom Aspinall said:

"It still is a little bit surreal, you know? Two years ago I was absolutely dead broke. I had no money and I was just like a kid with a dream really and now it's all happening in the space of two years so yeah, some days it's still a little bit surreal and I still can't believe it a little... A lot of that is to do with my division as well. I mean the division is not very deep, the heavyweight division, like a few good wins and you're never too far away from like top five, top ten position."

Watch the exclusive interview below:

Tom Aspinall weighs in on Curtis Blaydes' skillset heading into upcoming clash

Tom Aspinall knows he will be facing his toughest test yet inside the octagon this weekend against Curtis Blaydes. Although he is confident about getting his hand raised at the end of the fight, the Englishman is aware of the threats Blaydes poses.

Despite being known for his grappling skills, Curtis Blaydes displayed vicious knockout power on the feet in his last fight, putting Chris Daukaus to sleep in the second round of their heavyweight clash back in March.

Does Blaydes vs Aspinall go the distance? https://t.co/6DaVarJWfd

Aspinall understands that he will have to be well-prepared in all aspects of the fight to get past Blaydes this weekend. He said:

"I think this is heavyweight MMA and if anybody punches anybody clean on the chin, they're going to sleep like this is the nature of heavyweight MMA. That's not to take anything away from Curtis like, he's a good striker. I'm not saying that he's not, he's mainly known for his wrestling but his striking is definitely improved so he's a threat everywhere. I've got to be ready for everything".