Top heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall sat down with fellow countryman and former middleweight champ, Michael Bisping, …
so you always felt that this was going to happen what fight for the heavyweight title or fighting MSG well I mean the the the one the both the same thing really you always felt that you were destined for greatness that you were going to be in this position this is not because of Jon Jones injuring himself that’s kind of you know you Leap Frog you maybe jump the queue or you know sped things up but you were always going to be here that’s what I believe that is honestly what I believe like I feel like I’m going to be heavyweight champion of the world and I didn’t know if that’s going to be this weekend or in five years or like at some point I’m going to be heavyweight champion of the world before this career is over so yeah I I didn’t expect it to be you know I got the call on two and a half weeks notice I didn’t expect it to be this weekend but I still think I’m going to win well before we get into all that obviously we’re both from the northwest of England y beautiful place humble background humble beginnings now you here one of the biggest cities on planet Earth in the most iconic Arena fighting for the most prestigious belt in all of Combat Sports Tom if you win you’re going to be the baddest man on the planet AKA as we would say from our neck of the woods the hardest man on the planet no man alive can beat you in a combat fight I would agree I would agree I definitely agree but you know there’s still Jon Jones lurking around there but who knows if he’s going to come I don’t know I don’t know what he’s doing I don’t him personally or anything like that but I think I honestly think I can win I’m obviously I’m he I’m not going to show up to a fight fly across the world and sign a contract if I don’t think I’m going to win so obviously I’m here to win and nothing else let’s go back a little bit though last year against Curtis blades right you went out there we all know what happened you you injured your knee you had some time out we’ve spoke at length about this but for people that weren’t privy to those conversations tell me some tell me about some of your darkest times I mean being injured as a professional athlete is one thing I mean being injured in general it’s not a good spot to be in it’s quite depressing it it hurts especially when you have surgery mate you my leg was all busted up I couldn’t walk my knee was all swollen up uh to be injured as a professional athlete is something that I’m obsessed with training I love training train twice a day regardless of if I’ve got a fight or not being unable to do that and not knowing when I’m going to be able to train and fight again it’s it’s difficult mate mentally and for it to happen in front of like literally millions of people on a massive fight like that was the biggest fight in my career at the time a massive fight in front of the O2 Arena home fans and everything mate it was some of the most depressing times of uh of my life I’m not even just going to say career it was some of the most imp depressing times in my life but to be honest with you now like a year and a half later I’m really really glad it happened because I just my life so much better because of it well I was going to say do you feel that in a funny weird roundabout way that it was always meant to be because you had that time away it made you realize how much you would miss the sport how much you know the sport meant to you and being away from it when you came back you told me that you were a different version of yourself more disciplined and even hungrier to find yourself in a position like this I honestly didn’t realize how much I wanted it until it was almost taken away from me Y and I know that sounds a bit sad and superficial and and I was I was definitely hungry before but when it’s almost taken away you’re literally left with a choice cuz M there was some times there when I was like I’m not sure if I want to do this anymore and them thoughts almost like push me further to be like right I really want to do it now do you know what I mean I I don’t know it was just I was in such a dark spot for a few days there and I it was NE honestly I felt like I could have retired and just quit and I think when you’re in that kind of mindset and you come back from it just gives you so much confidence well when you did come back I mean your confidence was skyh high you looked and I’ve said this and I I’ll still stand by it I thought you looked like a mamad Ali in there you the movement was absolutely phenomenal you were so agile and you always have been but you looked better than ever you didn’t look like you were coming back from a year off and the performance was unbelievable and the Finish was spectacular I mean talk us through that moment well I got two legs now mate so it’s excellent I can move around really well on him um I think I’m definitely really like I think I move even even better than most middleweights to be honest I’m not like BL M trumpet I’m being honest I mean I had good movement I don’t I think better you know well you got two eyes yeah well that’s that’s true I’m bumping into walls no I’m trying to uh I’m trying to be like the best mover that the heavyweight division has ever seen and I think I’m I’m well on my way to doing it um but yeah I just feel like I’ve got two legs now I feel like all my personal life is really good like everything’s geared towards success yeah exactly being dialed in before I was a bit like in between being like a normal person and being like one of the best heavyweights ever and since the injury I just wanted to put all my focus everything I me I’ve always trained hard but I wanted it’s not mate this is something that I’m realizing now especially as I’m getting older and more experienced like everybody in the UFC trains hard mate you can’t just train hard and expect good results you have to be smart it’s about how you’re living outside the gym it’s about how you’re living your lifestyle the people you surround yourself with your training situation your training Partners your personal relationships everything has to be geared towards your goals it can’t just be like yeah train really hard and then you’re going out drinking every night you getting chips on the weekend and you can’t be doing stuff like that fries fries for the Americans apologies come on they’re not all from L I know sorry but you know what I mean it’s like um chip and gravy chips and gravy they good absolutely love them MIP and gravy or chips and curry sauce I like chips and gravy personally yeah yeah well you like gravy on your fish and chips that’s controversial is it I actually peas no peas no peas anyway enough of that um I said after your last win that you would smoke Jon Jones now you always said you you wanted to slow roll it you wanted to take your time you wasn’t in a rush certainly that’s changed but when I said I think Tom Aspen know’s the future of the heavyweight Division I think he smokes Jon Jones did you think yes 100% or did you think hold on Mike I appreciate that but I don’t know if I’m ready for that uh I wouldn’t say I’d smoke him because I’ve got a lot of respect for Jon Jones I think Jon Jones one of the best he’s one of the best fights ever to Grace the Octagon um but I think I can beat him yeah I do and I think that if I didn’t have that mindset mate it’s really difficult I know that you understand what I’m saying because you were obviously a champion yourself but I think that some people like watching this or watching film of of Fighters interviews and stuff they’re looking at and think he’s so cocky like he but you you have to think like that like why would I be here fighting in Madison Square Garden against one of the most dangerous guys in the UFC if I didn’t think I was going to win like you have to believe stuff like I can beat Jon Jones otherwise what’s the point in doing this sport confidence is the biggest weapon but it can also be a detriment to a fighter but it’s absolutely imperative to have the confidence now when I was younger I always thought I would find myself in the position that I did when did you when did you have the realization you know as a young man that hold on a minute this is who I am this is what I’m capable of and this is what I’m going to do oh I’m when I got to the UFC and started winning realistically but what about as a young man because you’re a big gu yeah you used to work on doors you know I know you’re not a thug or anything like that you’re a very well behaved man but you’ve always been able to handle yourself yeah definitely I just didn’t know if I could compete at the top level when when I started doing it mate Under Pressure against really good guys and especially like like I thought alosi when alosi was on a five fight win streak and obviously he’s a former Champion himself when I beat him I was like oh I’m pretty good like I can beat anybody and then I started beating other top guys and yeah I think once you get winds going and you get a bit of momentum behind you like it just solidifies the belief in yourself I always thought I could do it I didn’t know until I started getting wins over guys like that so let’s talk about momentum six and one in the UFC right six and one and the one let’s be honest is because you injured your own need can’t take away from Curtis blad’s achievement you know you both went in there we all the rest Sergey pavic six and one in the UFC as well so there’s a lot of similarities there you finished all of your opponents in the first round or the second round he’s finished all of his opponents as well yep how does this fight go down a lot of similarities there may in there a lot of similarities listen to this stat as well I’m the guy in the UFC with the shortest fight average he’s the guy in the UFC with the second shortest fight average that’s wild is it you’re both the best finishers y you’re both on six and one runs well someone’s getting finished aren’t they that’s inevitable like that goes without saying um I think that you can’t look at pavlovic’s fights mate and be like this is what he’s bad at and this is what he’s good at cuz so far in the UFC he’s barely put a foot wrong you can’t look at him and be like right this is where I’m going to take advantage I think the biggest issue that he’s got is I move unlike any other heavyweight I do things completely different completely unconventional to anyone else in the heavyweight division so he needs to I would’t say he just needs to be worried about me but he’s not going to be expecting things that I do I’m I I don’t just stand in front and bang flat footed like a lot of these other heavyweights I I do multiple attacks multiple I can grapple I can strike I can do all of it so um that’s the biggest Advantage I’ve got over him is that he’s no idea what I can really bring to the table so when you say he hasn’t put a foot wrong yeah am I correct in thinking he threw a kick it against alist him he got tripped he got tripped he was from a tie clinch he tripped him so they’re in the tie clinch yeah overing trips him gets top position and finishes him yeah so what does that tell you because you have a history of taking people down and once they hit the ground it’s over yeah it’s a wrap so do you fully believe that when you put Sergey pavlovich down if you can put Sergey pavlovich down yeah that’s the beginning of the end I don’t know cuz we’ve seen him for Min minimal times minimal time in the Octagon on his back like you say that the short amount of time that we have seen he’s not looked great I’ll be honest he got finished he got knocked out from that from that spot but at the same time this is heavyweight MMA that’s a bad spot to be in a heavyweight mate big guy like over ring down punches and elbows on you it’s difficult to get up but if I put someone on the back they’re getting finished simple as that look at my career look at the fights that I’ve done there’s not many people get up once I put them there and if if they do I return them straight away and uh yeah that’s definitely advantage that I’ve got his if I put him on his back so obviously we’re friends but the crazy thing is is that I got my title fight on two and a half weeks now you got yours on two and a half weeks now it’s and as you’ve told people very kindly I text you straight away as and I said it’s not about the two and a half weeks it’s about a lifetimes of a lifetime of work but Sergey pavlovich has been preparing the whole time y right he was the backup Fighter for Jones or step if they fell out one would assume that he’s been working a lot of takedown defense because they’re both wrestlers working getting back to his feet what do you think that he was working in that training camp and what do you think in that preparation might cause issues for you well the thing with Stipe and Jones they’re both really good all rounders aren’t they so he’s going to be working on his overall game um he’s going to be good everywhere mate like you say he’ll be working a lot getting back to his feet his game is a lot of forward pressure a lot of punches in bunches he a big strong guy he’s got awesome power in both hands so he he’s a I personally think he’s the most dangerous guy in the UFC like you say two and a half weeks that’s not a training camp I’m not bother what anybody says a training camp isn’t two and a half weeks one week’s you got one week training and one week traveling one week’s fight week so that’s not a training camp but as you said the advice that’s has helped me so much by the way so I really appreciate that I’ve been trading maybe 15 years I’ve been I’ve been doing this longer I I’ve been involved in martial arts mate since I was 8 years old I’m 30 so this isn’t about two and a half weeks you know ideally ideally I would have liked 10 weeks but I’ve not got that so I can’t sit here and cry about it I’m here I’m expecting some win so but the two and a half weeks that’s more than long enough y to switch defitely to switch the mind on to formulate a game plan to take a quick look at him and say hold on a minute here’s what I bring to the table these are my skills I believe in myself and here is how I beat this man and going mentally prepared and confident and I think it’s it actually works I actually feel super relaxed this week which usually on fight week I’m quite tense and so far I feel quite relaxed I’m like I’m in New York flew across the world fighting the most dangerous guy for the heavyweight title but I’ve not really had that much time to think about it mate I had to do me do me week of Soul training sort me visa and I’m here y I’ve not I’ve not had 10 weeks to think about it and build it up to this big thing in my mind I’m here got a couple of days now and I’m fighting on Saturday so I think he works well for me mentally as well man I’m excited for you I really am so it’s going to be good so the game plan if if I’m if I’m coaching you yeah here’s what I say here’s what I say you do you lie on your feet y right you like Muhammad Ali you Flo like a butterfly you stink like a be you move like the best middle way on the plan his name was Michael bis um you get in you use your Jabs you use your speed in jab out in and our movement in and our movement you have him swinging at fresh air and then you level change you shoot you take him down yeah does that sound like a game plan that you and your father have been talking about I’m not going to tell you I’m I’ll tell you off camera but uh I mean it’s not exactly rocket science let’s be honest no do you know what I’m going to do going to walk into the middle of C SP wheel Kake I’m right I’m just going to walk into the middle of cage and have an absolute bang out with him oh War yes that’s exactly what for the fans for the fans mate never mind Legacy exactly that yeah I’m that’s exactly what I’m going to do I’m going to do the same as every other opponent’s done to him and going I walk into the middle of cage and start swinging with him well that would be lovely to see but it wouldn’t be advisor and you I mean listen no no no to be fair you could knock him out of course you’ve got massive power of course I do I You’ sped extensively with Tyson Fury yep how many rounds oh hundreds hundreds hundreds yeah hundreds yeah so so you can handle yourself on the feet but that’s not the smart approach you’ve got a high fight IQ I know you’ve got a lot of experience you got a lot of skill youve got great wrestling where’s the where’s the confidence levels at oh high high I I honestly think that are one of the best finishers in the UFC I agree and as corny as it might sound you got to be in it to win it and I’m here I’m here so I’ve got a chance of winning 100% This heavyweight MMA regardless of training camps and how long have had to prepare and everything hey I’m here and if I have to you want and that’s the same as he can do with me he has to hit me once I have to hit him once as well but if I’m not here I’ve definitely got no chance of winning so I’m here and takes one shot mate in this Division I hate to bring myself back into it but when I was fighting for my belt I kept telling myself this is my destiny yep I was destined for this do you feel that this is your Des that’s what I’ve been saying all week mate that’s exactly what I’ve been saying all week it’s almost like I don’t want to talk about manifesting all that like woo woo crap that people talk about but I honestly I think that everything has kind of subsided and moved itself around for for this for me and like I say I’m not really I don’t sit in front of crystals and do a load of meditating and all that stuff but I honestly think that it is my destiny to be in there on Saturday there’s no other place anywhere on Earth then I would rather be than in the Octagon in this Arena on Saturday night fighting Ser which I can honestly like hand on heart say there’s nowhere else in the world or nothing else I’d rather be doing than in there on Saturday night you told me that you went to UFC 17 Manchester you went into the crowd that was my first time fighting in the UFC Manchester you went into the crowd you were watching the weighs a fighter walked out got on the scale you looked at him you thought oh wow this guy’s amazing I want to be this guy one day it wasn’t you that guy was Andre lowski I was devastated I thought what he’s biging me up here when you when you were in the crowd that day and you looked up could you see yourself here absolutely and by the way you’ve beaten orlovski now as we all know yeah absolutely absolutely and it’s strange maybe because I know like the guys behind the car most in America but I know that you can relate to it being a guy from the northwest of England we are not told to think like that no we’re not we not it’s suppressed from a young age oh God Tom you’ve H such a great thing I’m so lucky that I’ve got my dad you know because I feel like my dad kind of believed in me before I believed in myself and he put them thoughts in my head because I’m sure some other dad would have been like listen son you you go and do your own work and and you know get a job down exactly all that stuff get your head out of the clouds exactly all that stuff but my dad was always like listen you can do that one day if you want you just got to believe in yourself and that stuck with me since UFC 70 was it or whatever it was like that stuck with me and I always saw myself up there one day when I see when I hear that crowd roaring it’s like I’m meant to be here like I was born to be here I don’t it’s hard to explain it sounds kind of Cony but I honestly feel like that’s what I’m supposed to do I’m so glad you said that though because obviously I live out in the States now and out there it’s all about self-belief and empowerment and ambition and you know and people do speak about their dreams and you know from where we’re from people think you’re out of out of your mind they think you’re arrogant they think you’re confident they think you’re deluded to even dare to speak these kind of words just let’s stop this guy’s out of his mind go and get a job down the factory you know and be humble what are you talking about but here you are proving everybody wrong um bringing that Bell back bringing the heavyweight strap back to England back to the UK what’s that going to mean to you oh May that’s going to mean so much to me honestly honestly that’s going to mean I can’t even put it into words what that will mean it’s just massive it’s just absolutely massive to be the first UK heavyweight champion um only the third champion in the UFC from the UK after of course you and Leon Edwards who I look up to massively M that is something that is something special and I just can’t wait for it what round is that’s a good question you had a habit of doing it in the first if mate if I can get the fight done in the first 10 seconds I absolutely will every single time but I’m not looking for that do you know what I mean when I don’t look for a finish that’s when the Finish is come every single time especially my last three or four fights to’ been main events or the five rounders so I’m pacing myself in there uh I’ll be pacing myself in there on Saturday as well um I reckon second or third I think I can finish him in the second or third but if it’s a five rounder I’m happy with that as well but mate let’s not get anything Twisted here if I can finish him with the first punch I absolutely will you and your father in my opinion have one of the most beautiful relationships that I truly me that in all of Combat Sports wherever you go yeah your father’s there and I know how much he’s gu you and obviously been a father and a mentor and a coach and all the rest and he’s been in it he’s been there every step of the way what is rule number one Saturday night what is the main thing that he’s stressing to you over and over what my dad always says to me my I think my daddy’s honestly like a specialist in heavyweight MMA honestly like he knows like the gym now where we trained is only really heavyweights so he’s like a specialist in heavyweight MMA and the general rule that he has is don’t get hit don’t let him get on top of you they’re the two general rules for heavyweight so we’re sticking with that mate we got to stick with that defense is very very important for the for for like his philosophy um obviously my dad has been there since he literally took me to my first session he’s been honestly you can ask all the gyms I’ve ever been to I’ve been in gyms all around the world my dad is literally at every session near enough that I’ve ever done from me being 8 years old to me being 30 years older but I would know where be anywhere close to what I am now without him so um I’ll listen to everything he says I’m rightly so and of course in the gym you’ve got lots of heavy weight you’re getting pushed to the absolute limit but let’s look forward let’s assume Saturday night you get the hand raised you bring the Bell back Jon Jones let’s assume Jones and St p goes down next year yep would you want to get in there ASAP as soon as possible do you want Jones to win do you want St to win do you have a preference well I’m just a massive fan of both to be honest I would love to fight Jon Jones way and that’s absolutely no disrespect for Jon Jones I’m such a fan the reason I want to fight him so much is because I am such a fan and he’s one of the best ever if not the best ever and I want to test myself against that before this is all said and done I would love to fight Jon Jones 100% if you could beat Jon Jones if you beat these are lots of ifs yeah but there are lots of ifs that I truly believe are Poss you beat Sergey yep you beat Jones you go on a Legendary Run you go down as the greatest heavyweight champion in the history of the UFC have you allowed your mind to go there yes plenty times are you going to be the greatest UFC heavyweight champion yeah I honestly think so I honestly believe it again we’re going back to that deluded talk again but I think you have to be a little bit deluded to be successful in anything not just MMA in anything uh you have to dream big and yeah but first of all me I’ve got a massive fight on Saturday this guy is seriously dangerous guy so right now I’m not thinking about that kind of stuff but do I think I’ll be one of the best heavyweights ever absolutely why else would I be doing it I think that’s a great place to end this Tom I’m proud of you thank you m I truly mean that thank you mate all the best thank you