Tom Aspinall said he is ready to go the distance with Ciryl Gane if that is what’s required of him, warning the Frenchman that many have tried to “drag him into deep waters” only to regret it.
Much is being made of the fact that Aspinall has never fought beyond the second round in his 18-fight MMA career, and that Gane’s ability to manage distance could be the equaliser in keeping the heavyweight champion at bay until the later rounds when they meet at UFC 321 on Saturday.
“Did he actually use the words 'deep waters?',” asked Aspinall at Wednesday’s media day at Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island. A collective nod from the assembled reporters confirmed in the affirmative, something which elicited a complete about-face in Aspinall from jovial to something far more sinister.
“Everyone who uses the words ‘deep waters’ with me gets knocked out in the first minute. Go back and check. All the media that’s ever been done. So, pretty happy with that. That’s good.”
It was the only time Aspinall responded to questions with a scowl rather than a smile. He quickly reverted to type though, joking that his prediction was to “win the fight by controversial split decision, neither of us taking any risks and lots of fans booing at the end”.
What should not be lost is the fact that no one has been good enough to take the 32-year-old Englishman into a third round, let alone five.
Aspinall has lost three times in his career; one of them he was disqualified for an illegal downwards elbow and the second he blew his knee out in the first 15 seconds against Curtis Blaydes.
Bulk, speed, knockout power in both hands and a ground game the envy of many, Aspinall is one of the most well-rounded fighters in his or any other division, a fact Gane was only too willing to acknowledge during his media session.
Aspinall was equally keen to point out Gane’s strengths, saying they matched up well together.
“We don’t move like heavyweights,” said Aspinall. “We’ve both got good footwork, we both manage the distance well. We don’t just go in swinging; we’re both technical, tactical, good movers, big athletic guys. I think it makes for a good match.”
Aspinall rejects comparisons to the legendary Jon Jones or any other fighter for that matter.
When The National put it to him that UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping compared him to Muhammad Ali, Aspinall responded: “I don’t know about that one, mate. Where’s he pulled that one from?
“That’s a massive compliment, but I’ve still got a bit of work to do before then.”
This will be Aspinall’s first title defence as undisputed heavyweight champion. He was handed the belt by UFC president Dana White after Jones retired in June.
Jones is now adamant about a return to the octagon, targeting the UFC event slated to take place at the White House on July 4 next year with UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira a potential opponent.
Should that pan out, it would again scupper Aspinall’s chances to test himself against a man many regard as the greatest of all time in Jones.
Aspinall spent as much time answering questions about a fight that is happening as one that isn’t. When asked what he thought about Jones sidestepping him to potentially face Pereira, Aspinall replied. “If that’s what he wants to do, I wish him well.”
Jones won the heavyweight title in 2023, submitting Gane via guillotine choke. His long period of inactivity left the heavyweight division in turmoil while he mulled his decision.
Aspinall has an entirely different approach, saying he wants to be an active champion: “In my opinion, that's how champions are supposed to work. It's like you're the guy and then you find the next guy, prove you’re best, and, you ride that as long as possible."
For Gane, the majority of questions centred around his two previous attempts at UFC gold. He came up short on both occasions, dominated by Francis Ngannou for most of the five rounds at UFC 270 before tapping out to Jones at UFC 285.
“This is a big challenge, and everybody knows that,” said Gane. “I have been training since March, trying to prepare for this as Tom was already interim champion before he was the real champion, so there was always a chance we would meet.
“This fight the pressure is different to Francis and Jon Jones. The first fight [against Ngannou] there was so much pressure. Against Jon Jones it was a little less and now even less against Tom.
“I’ve had a solid camp and I am ready. I know my strengths, I know his strengths, very technical, very fast on the feet. But I am ready to become champion on Saturday.”
Saturday will be something of a full-circle moment for Aspinall. His first two UFC fights took place on Fight Island, when Abu Dhabi helped the UFC keep the sport alive during the Covid-19 pandemic. Aspinall even called the UAE capital a “second home”.
“I absolutely love Abu Dhabi, love to fight here,” he said. “For me personally, it’s very convenient. It’s six hours away from my home in Manchester, the weather is amazing, the people are amazing. If I could do the rest of my career here, I’d choose that over any other place in the world.”
