Aspinall ‘Would Be In Trouble’ Against Someone Like Velasquez

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Tom Aspinall is the future of the Heavyweight division.

The current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim titleholder has risen through the ranks in a virtually flawless manner. Aspinall, 31, has lost only once in his eight-fight UFC career (14-3 overall), and that came via a 15-second knee injury against Curtis Blaydes (watch highlights) in July 2022.

A match up with Blaydes was a great test for the British contender, thanks to Blaydes’ strong wrestling background. Unfortunately, none of it was put to the test, but that may change if the pair meet in a possible title rematch for their next time out. Ideally, Aspinall would unify the interim and undisputed crowns against the latter’s owner, Jon Jones. UFC instead is sticking to the original plan of Stipe Miocic challenging Jones when all parties are ready.

Both legendary current and former champions would present interesting challenges for Aspinall. Had timing aligned differently, it’s wild to think that another legend, Cain Velasquez, could still be in the fold as he and Miocic are both 41. Velasquez’s longtime coach at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), Javier Mendez, believes that’s the type of test that would have been roughest for Aspinall.

“It would have been tough for Tom Aspinall because of Cain’s wrestling, his wrestling would have been superior to Tom’s,” Mendez told King Casino Bonus. “It would have come down to wrestling and I don’t think Tom would be able to wrestle to that degree, he would be in trouble. Cain could stand with anyone in the stand-up, but Cain had a lot of injuries, and other things happened to him, he was mismanaged at times, if weren’t for those things he would have been the greatest Heavyweight of all time.”

Aspinall last fought when he defeated Sergei Pavlovich to become the interim champion with a 69-second knockout at UFC 295 in November 2023 (watch highlights).