UFC Heavyweight king Tom Aspinall on defending title against Blaydes in hometown
Heavyweight king Tom Aspinall on defending title against Blaydes in hometown
Tom Aspinall (14-3, fighting out of Atherton, Greater Manchester, England) returns to defend his championship against Blaydes in front of his hometown
Interim UFC heavyweight champion
11 wins via knockout, three by submission
13 first-round finishes
Tom Aspinall (14-3, fighting out of Atherton, Greater Manchester, England) returns to defend his championship against Blaydes in front of his hometown
Interim UFC heavyweight champion
11 wins via knockout, three by submission
13 first-round finishes
Category
🥇
SportTranscript
00:00So I'm, uh, obviously this is sort of the card dreams are made of, right?
00:18The homecoming, new arena, championship belt on the table in front of you.
00:23I feel like, uh, it's something that you will enjoy, but are you making sure this
00:27week that you need to enjoy it?
00:29And are you enjoying this week so far?
00:31I'm enjoying myself so far.
00:32Yeah, this is, um, as you just said, like when I got into this sport, which is quite
00:39a long time ago now, this is what I dreamed of is being, you know, weeks like this
00:43week, nights like Saturday night.
00:45This is, uh, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
00:48By the way, who was sat here last?
00:51Smells a bit strange up here.
00:53What's going on?
00:55Must be you guys.
00:57Uh, this is, uh, I'm looking forward to it.
00:59Very lucky for, I look forward to it very much.
01:01If, uh, as some people are predicting, you know, you defend the belt on Saturday
01:05and then eventually they promote it to being the undisputed belt after John
01:08walks away, do you think this one should count as a title defense?
01:13I don't really know.
01:14I mean, I'm not really focused on that right now, to be honest.
01:16I'm just focused on, uh, like all that stuff is kind of like out of my control.
01:21Like all this, uh, political stuff with John and Stipe and, um, the interim
01:28stuff and the defense stuff, like, I'm not really too bothered about it.
01:32I just focused on beating Curtis Blake and that's it.
01:35As a percentage, how much harder are your hands after soaking them in the gasoline?
01:40They're like absolute stones.
01:42You know what?
01:42I seen them, uh, seen them new gloves.
01:45They sent me some of them new gloves and they're a lot smaller than the other ones.
01:50There's a lot less padded on them.
01:52And I just thought, you know what?
01:54I need to harden the knuckles up.
01:56And that's the only way that I know how.
01:58So I've, uh, been doing the old gypsy method of, uh, dipping them in petrol.
02:04And it's the rock there at the like rocks, mate.
02:06Yeah.
02:07Is any part of you concerned about the obvious health risks of putting
02:10your hands in petrol for the, which are what?
02:13I don't know.
02:14I just feel like having a flammable liquid seep into your hands.
02:16It's probably going to cost you at some point.
02:18They're doing all right so far, mate.
02:19Let's find out on Saturday night, won't we?
02:20We'll find out if, uh, but if I get a disgusting knockout on Saturday, you
02:26better believe that half of the roster are going to be dipping the knuckles in
02:28petrol, so it'd be all good.
02:31I know obviously like life doesn't really go past this weekend, but
02:34should you get the win this weekend?
02:35Does it make sense for you to be in November, uh, in Madison Square
02:38in November, watching those two fight?
02:40I mean, that'd be a lot of fun.
02:41I love New York, both MSG.
02:44So that would be great.
02:46Tom right here.
02:47Um, before Curtis's last fight, uh, he said that, you know, a lot of fans
02:51and pundits kind of view him as the gatekeeper of heavyweight, like you
02:54can't be a contender until you face Curtis, but you yourself said that you
02:57take Curtis Blades very, very seriously.
02:59So do you view Curtis Blades as a gatekeeper or is that just a moniker?
03:03No, I don't at all.
03:04I think he's, the guy has been in the top five for top five,
03:08top 10 for a lot, a long time.
03:10Um, he's done basically everything that there is to do apart from when
03:13a title Curtis Blades has done.
03:15So, um, I respect him a lot.
03:17I respect what he's all about.
03:19I respect him as a person, as an athlete, everything.
03:21And I've took it, take, took, taken him, took him.
03:25Yeah, whatever I am.
03:28I have taken him very seriously in the buildup and I am taking
03:31this fight very, very seriously.
03:33I'm not looking past him at all.
03:35Obviously a lot of people point to your athleticism and speed is kind of what
03:38sets you apart in the heavyweight division.
03:40Do you think Curtis is that heavyweight that can match you in
03:43the athletic, athletic department?
03:45No.
03:47Um, he also, Curtis, obviously, uh, he comes with a very high level
03:52grappling back on you, yourself, your, uh, the black belt, you
03:55have a tattoo on your wrist.
03:56Normally when we see, you know, two grapplers in there, it
03:59can turn into a striking battle.
04:00So how do you rate, uh, Curtis Blades striking?
04:03Well, I think I'm first of all, a grappler, but I've also been
04:08doing MMA a long time, the same as Curtis is first of all, a wrestler,
04:11but he's been doing MMA a long time.
04:12So, uh, even though we've got like both decent grappling backgrounds,
04:16this is an MMA fight.
04:17So, uh, I rate Curtis is, I don't know, for me, I think I look at it a little
04:23bit different to a lot of other people.
04:25It's like, I don't look at it like individual stuff.
04:27I don't look at it like, oh, this guy's a good wrestler and this
04:30guy's good strike or whatever.
04:31Like this is MMA.
04:32I look at MMA as a sport of its own.
04:34I don't look at it as five, six, seven different disciplines.
04:37Like for me, it's one discipline.
04:40It's the discipline of MMA and you need to be sufficient standing grappling
04:44on the ground, on the fence, on your back, on top, doing everything.
04:48Like you need to be good at everything in this sport.
04:49So, uh, yeah, we were both decent at grappling, but we're both, you know,
04:55top of the top level MMA fighters.
04:56So it's going to be interesting.
04:58Well, I asked Curtis this too.
04:59And I, I'm curious your thoughts.
05:00Do you think heavyweights get credit for being well-rounded martial artists?
05:04Or cause to Curtis said, like, you know, you can't really go in there and trade
05:08like lightweights because when you touch them on the chin, you kind of go to sleep.
05:11Do you think heavyweights get credit as being well-rounded martial artists?
05:15Um, I mean, probably not.
05:19Like the, the definite, like we're definitely getting better in terms of
05:22skill, but I think as far as guys who actually are good in all aspects of MMA,
05:30I think there's probably seven or eight of us who are like elite level at MMA.
05:35The other guys are more like guys who can knock you out.
05:40And that's really it.
05:41Do you know what I mean?
05:41And that's MMA is like heavyweight.
05:44MMA has kind of got his own rules in that regard.
05:46Any other division, you need to be like fully skilled everywhere.
05:50Whereas in, uh, in the heavyweight division, it's just like, there's still
05:54a guy's knocking around who they just need to hit you once and, but
05:57they're not really great everywhere else.
05:59Well, Curtis fought in Denver.
06:00He said he wasn't the biggest fan of fighting at home because you're
06:02kind of being pulled in multiple directions.
06:04How has it been for you?
06:05As the champion fighting at home?
06:07Well, I've been pulled in multiple directions, but yeah, it's, uh, yeah, I
06:11mean, it's fine.
06:12Like this is my third time, fourth time fighting in the UK actually.
06:15As a, and this time I'm not main event, so I'm sure Leon will be able to give
06:19you a more accurate response than I am.
06:21But, um, I mean, there's, there's definitely a lot of pressure.
06:25There's a lot more pressure fighting here than there is anywhere else.
06:27Um, but I'm accustomed to the pressure at this point, like I'm frigging number
06:34one heavyweight in the world.
06:34If I can't deal with pressure now, then I'm probably doing the
06:37wrong thing with my life.
06:38So I'm all right with it.
06:40And last one for me, I don't know if you saw, but on November 1st, they're
06:42going to rule out some of the rule changes that are going to allow 12 to
06:45six elbows and they're going to redefine what a grounded opponent is in the
06:48octagon.
06:49I'm curious, did you hear about this and what do you make of the rule changes?
06:52I heard something about it before, but I weren't really paying attention.
06:54What someone was telling me, to be honest.
06:56So, um, I think that's pretty good.
06:58So the letting people, what's the second one?
07:01So you need to have more than just your hands.
07:03Yeah.
07:03And so you can't have, you can't have your elbow, your shoulder, your knee.
07:06You can't just kind of pop it up with your hand.
07:08Yeah.
07:09Well, I think that's a bit of a silly rule.
07:10Anyway, that those two, in my opinion, they're good changes.
07:12Like they should, they should change them over.
07:15And I also think they should allow needs to the head on the, on the ground as
07:18well.
07:19Well, I guess that kind of is needs to the head on the ground.
07:21No, I don't think if they're grounded, no, I think they should allow that.
07:25Yeah.
07:25Uh, John said he's going to try to appeal his previous loss to Matt
07:29Hamill because of the 12 six is now allowed.
07:31Do you think it should be overturned to a one?
07:32Yeah, I think so.
07:33I think so.
07:34I think it's a silly rule.
07:35I don't know.
07:36I don't know if you can do that like 10 years after the fact though, maybe,
07:39or however long ago it was, uh, maybe you can, I mean, we talk about John
07:42Jones, the guy has his own rules.
07:44So maybe he can.
07:45Tom, you have the shortest average fight time in UFC history, two minutes, 10.
07:52And if you didn't already know that now you do, is that something that you want
07:55to keep going?
07:56You want to hold on to that mantle?
07:59I mean, it's nice to have, but it's not something I've tried to have.
08:01Do you know what I mean?
08:02I always go into a fight, honestly, in, on the contrary to what people think.
08:08I prepare like hard for a hard five rounds every time.
08:12And I see, you know, I always get the same thing from my opponents on my, my
08:15opponent's team.
08:17And it's like, Oh, we're going to drag him into deep water.
08:20We're going to, we're going to do bring into a place.
08:22He's never been before.
08:23The reason I've never been to them places before is because no one's
08:26good enough to take me yet.
08:27And that's not me being cocky.
08:28That's the reality of it.
08:29So everybody comes in and says, yeah, we're going to drag him into deep
08:32water.
08:33We're going to take him to this miserable place, blah, blah, blah.
08:35Brilliant.
08:36I'm prepared for it.
08:37Take me there, please.
08:38Because I've never been there and I want to see how it goes myself.
08:40It's not, um, I'm not shying away from that at all.
08:43Like if somebody can take me to the third, fourth, fifth round in a
08:46competitive fight, fantastic.
08:48You've been nowhere close to seeing those rounds and Curtis's team, you
08:53know, they've not tried to keep anything secret.
08:56They've said that their aim of the game is to try and dominate you on the
08:58ground and split you open with elbows.
09:02But they're underestimating your incredible jujitsu, aren't they?
09:06Do you feel that that would feed into an aspect of your game that has
09:11rarely been seen?
09:12I don't think they're underestimating me at all.
09:14I think that's just talk.
09:16And, uh, talk is talk and fighting is fighting.
09:20So, um, we'll find out on Saturday.
09:22Final one for me.
09:24Has it been surreal?
09:25You know, when you look back where you were 10 years ago to now seeing
09:28that Atherton is featuring very prominently on the UFC embedded fight
09:33week, is that crazy to see, you know, where you're at and, you know, where
09:37the town's at as well?
09:38Yeah.
09:38We'd love to see it.
09:40We love to see it as Atherton boys, don't we?
09:43No, it's, uh, it's really nice.
09:44Yeah.
09:44It's really, really nice.
09:46And the people love it as well.
09:48Do you know what I mean?
09:48There's not a lot happens in that town.
09:50So to be able to, and that's not me, you know, I'm not saying anything bad.
09:55Um, if I can like bring some positive light to that, that's, uh, that's fantastic.
10:00You anticipate in another mural one that you're a bit happier with the arms.
10:05Yeah.
10:05The arms are very smart.
10:06I think my arms are quite decent.
10:08And then when I seen that, I was like, Oh, and I don't know why also.
10:11I'm still confused as to why I'm dressed up as a Roman.
10:14Like, I don't know why that I was a gladiator or whatever it is.
10:17I have no idea why that is, but it's, uh, of course I'm honored for
10:21having my face up in my hometown and a massive scale at school.
10:24Uh, I don't know why I was a gladiator.
10:27I still don't understand it.
10:28Tom down here to your left.
10:30Um, how was the social media detox for you going into this fight?
10:33Is the first time you've done it?
10:35Yeah, pretty good.
10:38Excuse me.
10:38Um, yeah, a lot, a lot, a lot better than, I mean, I still use my phone and stuff
10:44all the time, but I'm just not scrolling all day, every day.
10:46Um, I would just, so anybody who's going through any kind of, if they're
10:54feeling overwhelmed in life, feel like they've got too much on or whatever,
10:57or, you know, they're feeling a bit anxious about stuff, first thing
11:01you should do, cut out social media.
11:03Try a month without it and see how you get on.
11:05Do what I did, delete the apps so you can't go back on it again.
11:08Cause I, I was seriously addicted to scrolling.
11:11Um, and yeah, my life is a lot better without reading.
11:17Hundreds of people's opinions of me every day.
11:19Do you know what I mean?
11:20It's like every time I go on there, I get tagged in stuff and I read the comments.
11:26And that's a mistake.
11:29It's a massive mistake, but it's not, it's an addiction like anything else.
11:32So, um, the only way I was to tackle it really was to delete the app.
11:36And I've been back on here and there, like I had to get someone's number.
11:39So I had to re-download it and DM them and ask for the number.
11:42And before I know it, I'm scrolling again for another 10 minutes.
11:44So I got the number, deleted the app again.
11:46I've had to do, I had to do a social media post for a sponsor as well.
11:50I downloaded X again cause I couldn't find my password and I had to try passwords.
11:54And then anyway, um, before I know it, I'm scrolling again.
11:58So I had to delete it again.
11:59Um, yeah, it's just, I'm just in a lot of better place mentally without it.
12:03Like I still post on there.
12:04I've got, uh, I've got my social media guy, Charlie, who runs my YouTube and
12:08everything, like he's posting everything he's done through me.
12:10So it's all authentic.
12:12Do you know what I mean?
12:12It's not someone else, someone else physically posted, but it's coming from me.
12:16It's not like someone's full time doing it.
12:18Um, well, my life's a lot better without reading a load of people's opinions all
12:25the time.
12:25Honestly, I was at the spot where I was at a point where I didn't even really know my
12:30own opinion on stuff anymore because I'm reading too many other people's opinions.
12:34I don't know.
12:34We're getting a bit deep up here, but it was, uh, it was full on and I'm better off
12:39without it.
12:39Yeah.
12:40Yeah.
12:40They'll let into my next question.
12:41They're giving you a lot more clarity in this preparation for Curtis.
12:45Yeah.
12:46Uh, not, I mean, uh, your life and fight preparation coincides a lot in my opinion,
12:52in my experience anyway.
12:53Um, like if I'm not happy in my day to day life, I'm not performing too well in the
12:58gym.
12:59So, um, I'm much happier without social media.
13:03I won't be going back on it after my fight either.
13:06So I'll, uh, you know, I might download it and have a look here and there, but I'll
13:09never have the app on my phone full time again.
13:12Never.
13:13Fair enough.
13:13And last one from me.
13:15Um, where would you rank Curtis in the list of your opponents in terms of overall
13:19skillset?
13:20Number one.
13:21This guy's the hardest fight in my career.
13:23Easily.
13:26Hey Tom.
13:27Um, I think a lot of people coming into this fight are cottoning on to what you
13:31guys are doing in the gym and building that heavyweight kind of super team.
13:35Are you feel like more fighter requests to come down and get involved and you expect
13:39them more, you know, with a win this Saturday?
13:42Uh, I mean, it's really nothing to do with me.
13:44It's to do with my dad.
13:45Um, but that's, that's just something that's kind of happened.
13:49Like organically, we never set out and they were like, right, we're going to, you
13:53know, get 20 heavyweights on the mat every day.
13:55Uh, I just kind of like needed big guys to train with the big guys were kind of
14:00local.
14:00So we started training together.
14:02Um, and then more guys started coming down and guys that, you know, we brought more
14:08guys in for sparring and they liked it.
14:10And then before we know it, we have like 20 international guys, heavyweights on the
14:14mat every day.
14:14It's absolutely insane.
14:15And I've obviously brought guys over as well to help me train for the, for this
14:19fight specifically, but, um, my training situation absolutely couldn't be better.
14:23And I've leveled up massively since my last fight.
14:27I'm looking back to the last fight with Curtis after the fight, you shared the beer,
14:32uh, talking about some of your memories from that moment.
14:34Did it feel like unfinished business even when you're sharing a pint of them?
14:37Yeah, absolutely.
14:38Absolutely.
14:39Curtis is a good guy, man.
14:40Curtis is a nice guy from, from my knowledge of him.
14:42Um, and I'm sure he thinks similar to me.
14:46I don't know.
14:46I can't speak for him, but I'm definitely going to try and knock his head off his
14:50shoulders this Saturday.
14:51And I'm sure he'll, he'll say the same for me.
14:53Do you know what I mean?
14:53That's the sport.
14:54But, um, Curtis as a human being, from my experience, at least is a good guy.
15:00Just finally from me, the pound for pound debate rages on day in a week.
15:03Whenever he gets a chance, he'll tell you, John Jones is the man.
15:06Other people will say he's not active enough and you're in a position to
15:10comment on that.
15:11What do you think?
15:13What is this pound for pound bullshit?
15:15It's a load of rubbish.
15:16It's like saying it just doesn't even make sense.
15:19Like, uh, don't get me started on that shit.
15:24It's just like, how can you have a pound for pound?
15:27What does that, does that mean if everyone's the same size?
15:30So how can you compare Demetrius Johnson style to Brock Lesnar style and say if
15:34they're the same, like they've got completely different attributes.
15:37It's like, I've got a bulldog, right?
15:39It's like saying, right.
15:40If my bulldog had a really long neck, it would win a giraffe or the bulldog.
15:44Like it's absolute bullshit.
15:46How can you even compare it?
15:47It's a lot of rubbish.
15:49Tom here.
15:50Um, how much of this fight is mental due to the way the first fight with Curtis
15:54ended?
15:55Every fight's mental.
15:57Every fight's like a solid 50% mental, in my opinion.
16:02Um, for me that, that fights in the past, I'm not, I'm not focused on that too
16:09much.
16:10That wasn't really a fight.
16:11Curtis is a good guy.
16:12He brings good skills.
16:14It's great everywhere.
16:15And we're two different guys now than we were two years ago.
16:19You know, MMA moves really quick.
16:20So, um, yeah, this is a new fight for me, really.
16:25And, uh, you were Mohammed Makhaev's first ever Brazilian jujitsu coach.
16:29What was it like?
16:30What has it been like seeing his, his rise up this flyweight division?
16:34Yeah, I don't know.
16:35Did he tell you that he said it in an interview?
16:38Oh, right.
16:38Maybe.
16:39I don't know.
16:39Because I used to teach a kid's class and he would come to the kid's class.
16:42That's how it worked.
16:43Um, yeah, I've known Mohammed since he was like 11, 12 years old.
16:48Uh, since he first came to this country, really.
16:50Um, he, I mean, I'm not involved in his career anymore.
16:55I don't know what he's doing at the moment, but I speak to him all the time.
16:57We're friends.
16:58Um, but since before he was even fighting, really, he's like special.
17:06He's a special, special guy.
17:08Um, and I believe he's definitely going to be a champion in the, uh, in the
17:13flyweight division for sure.
17:14What do you think of his fight with Menel Cap?
17:17In all honesty, and this is nothing against Menel Cap, I don't really watch
17:23flyweight MMA, so I don't really know much about him, to be honest.
17:27So I don't know how the fights, I don't have an accurate assessment.
17:29I watch Mohammed because, uh, Mohammed's my friend.
17:34Uh, I'm interested in, obviously, as far as the flyweight divisions, usually
17:38in all honesty, I'm fast forwarding the flyweights.
17:41So I'm just down to your right.
17:43In terms of, um, it being a Manchester card, and I know you're not the main
17:47event, but do you feel more pressure because this is everything that you
17:49asked for in terms of coming to Manchester?
17:52Are you saying that the Manchester, the US, you're in Manchester because of me?
17:55Is that what you're saying?
17:56That's what it sounds like.
17:57I'll, I'll embrace that if you are, I'm just joking.
18:00Uh, I feel pressure every fight.
18:04I really, really don't want to get knocked out in front of millions of people.
18:07So regardless if it's in Manchester or wherever else it is, um, I'm
18:13feeling the pressure, do you know what I mean?
18:14But, um, I mean, I'm definitely feeling the pressure, but I'm not
18:18feeling it any more than normal right now.
18:20But at 5am on Sunday morning, when the walls are vibrating, when I'm in the
18:25changing rooms and I can hear the crowd, maybe I'll feel different, but
18:28right now it feels quite normal.
18:29And what would you, I'm sorry, and what would your advice be to the other
18:33fighters that are here in Manchester?
18:34What would you, what would you have them doing while they're here?
18:37Um, to be honest, like I've traveled quite a bit with fighting now and you
18:44can't really enjoy the places where you go when you're fighting, do you know
18:48what I mean?
18:49Like you stressed out, so there's not, you can't really enjoy it.
18:52But I was saying, saying the other day to somebody, um, like if you're coming
18:59to Manchester to like have a good time and watch a fight, I personally think
19:04it might be the best city in the world for that.
19:06Like to show up, to go to some bars, to explore in the daytime and watch a good
19:11scrap on a weekend and then leave the day after.
19:13Probably the best city in the world, mate, in my opinion.