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Original Description
Tom Aspinall joins Maddyn Johnstone to discuss #UFC321 and his upcoming fight against Ciryl Gane. Plus, his custom shorts, fighting style, the preparation for this fight and reflecting on his last fight back at home in Manchester.
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Video Transcript
Well, Tom, finally in a fight week. It's
been a while to have a fight. I mean, I
know there's a lot of media, a lot of
things you got going on this week, but
to know there's just a few days before
the fight. How does it feel?
This is the last bit of media, actually.
So,
yeah. All good. All good. No, it feels
good. Feels good to be uh back on fight
week. Back, you know, looking forward to
Saturday. Looking forward to getting in
there, doing my job, and uh hopefully
getting the win.
I know you're someone that just like
loves the sport of MMA. It's what you
love. So for you the over the past year
having to wait for a fight, what has the
past year been like for you mentally,
physically, all the things?
I mean, I would like to MMA is my job
and uh I I wasn't allowed to go to work
for the last year and it's nothing to do
with me. So that is obviously a little
bit frustrating. I like fighting.
Everybody's got um everyone's kind of
got like a sell by date of when they're
going to be done fighting and while I'm
before that sell by date, I would like
to do it as much as possible. Um, so I'm
glad to just get back to doing it on
Saturday.
And really a full circle moment to be
here in Abu Dhabi where you made your
debut. You've been here before. To have
a title fight here, not far in Australia
or somewhere else in the world.
How special is it to have it here in Abu
Dhabi where you made your debut?
Well, love Abu Dhabi. And
few great things about Abu Dhabi is six
hours on the plane for us from the UK, 3
hours time difference, not bad at all.
no jet lag
and uh it's October. I'm from
Manchester. The weather is terrible. So,
just uh just coming out here getting the
nice weather
and uh fighting. Like you say, I made my
debut here 5 years ago. Looking forward
to defending the uh title here as well.
You got any vacation plans here after?
Enjoy the warm weather a little bit.
This is it. Are you going home?
No, I'm going home. I'm going home.
Yeah. As soon as the fight's done. I uh
I got a wife and kids that I miss and I
want to get back to.
And also this week, the custom shorts.
It's always cool when we see a champion
get to have the shorts. What was that
process like putting it together and for
you to be able to to wear those on
Saturday?
You like them?
Yeah, I like I like the bee on it. I
think that's a really cool touch.
Mixed reviews on that.
But listen, I I obviously like them.
They're my uh they're my style.
Representing the country, representing
the city, representing the town where
I'm from as well. Like this is all uh
it's all good stuff. I really like the
design. Like them a lot.
And we haven't been able to talk too
much since that fight in Manchester for
you. What an incredible moment to be at
home, get the win the way that you did.
What was that whole moment like for you?
That was something that dreams are made
of for me. Like obviously fighting MSG
is cool. Fighting in Vegas is cool. Abu
Dhabi is cool. But fighting in the place
where you're from in front of your
people that's takes the cake. So um I
mean it was at 5:00 a.m. That was a
little bit weird. Um
but I'm sure in years to come I'm going
to forget what time it was at. And uh
yeah that was a big big moment for me
for sure. And in preparation for serial,
I was watching UFC countdown the other
day and just the people you brought into
this camp and prep in preparation for
him. How are you feeling about
everything leading up to Saturday night
and how you guys have been able to
prepare for someone like serial?
I'm feeling great. Like we got a great
team, great team atmosphere, also big
elite guys obviously working with my dad
uh as always and the other coaches and
yeah, everything's everything's been
perfect.
Very unique sometimes to have a parent
in your corner. I feel like as a as a
parent and a coach to have your dad
through this whole journey since you
were young and to have him experience
you get the title and still be here now
when you're have undisputed champion.
What has it meant for you to have him
throughout this whole journey?
Well, that's all I know. I don't know
any different. Like I know it's weird
for some people, but I don't know any
different. So, um everything's been
great. That's our little thing together.
We started together. Um we'll finish
together and then well I don't know what
we'll do after that but sure we'll do
something else together after that.
There was something Michael Bisping said
when you first made your debut that
really stood out to me. He said, "The
UFC has something special with Tom
Aspenol." When you think about your
style and just what makes it so
exciting. I mean, you finish fights very
quickly, but what is it about you and
what you bring to the octagon that makes
it exciting when you step in there? I
think that I I have an ability to read a
fight really well. I think and I think
not a lot of people from the outside can
see that. But uh that's something that I
do really really well is that I can read
my opponent's situation, what they're
trying to do um quite quick. That's what
I like to think anyway and I think yeah,
I think that's what I do well.
When you look at the fight with Sirill
on Saturday, what goals do you have for
yourself and what do you want to
accomplish in this fight?
I just want to win. It doesn't matter
how, doesn't matter when. U, winning to
me is the most important thing. So, I
want to win.
And it really feels like a new chapter
is being written at heavyweight with you
as champion and being able to face new
contenders, new faces. When you think
about just the legacy you're creating, I
know it's it's big sometimes to talk
about legacy, but just paving the path
as as a heavyweight champion. What do
you hope that looks like? What goals do
you have yourself at heavyweight?
I don't know. That's like a big big
question.
Sorry. No, that is a loaded question.
Um, I don't know. I don't I just want to
be a guy that fights often, fights
anybody,
and
I don't know. I I don't really know.
Just keeps winning. I just want to win.
Yeah.
That's what I want to do. Yeah.
You think about the the time you get to
the arena, you're getting your hands
wrapped, countdowns on to making the
walk to the octagon. What is that whole
experience like for you on Saturday?
Scary as always. Yeah. A lot of pressure
as always, which is good. That's You
want to feel their emotions. If you're
not if you're not feeling emotions, then
you should probably be doing something
else. Um, scary because I want to do
good and I want to win and I feel
pressure because I expect a lot of
myself. Um, but yeah, I wanna
Yeah, looking forward to it. Looking
forward to it to be honest because the
the whole fight week thing, it's a bit
of a it can be a bit of a drag. Do you
know what I mean? You're just waiting
for Saturday. That's all you can think
about is Saturday. Saturday. Um, so when
that finally comes around, I'll try and
enjoy it and uh do my best performance.
Is it going to feel any difference to
know that this is for undisputed gold
compared to what it felt like maybe when
you won against Sergey or when you won
against Curtis?
No, it doesn't make a difference. It's
another big scary guy who's in there
trying to beat me up. So, I got to do it
to them first.
Just about winning.
Just about winning. Yeah.
Well, Tom, best of luck to you. We'll
see you on Saturday.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank
you.