Curtis Blaydes Says UFC 304 Clash vs Tom Aspinall ‘Doesn’t Really Feel Like a Real Title Fight’: ‘Conor McGregor Wouldn’t...’
Curtis Blaydes downplays UFC 304 bout vs Tom Aspinall, calling it 'not quite a true title fight' amidst ongoing title picture confusion.
![Curtis Blaydes, and Tom Aspinall Instagram](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-07/1303761409_untitled-design-2024-07-17t120211-796.jpg)
Curtis Blaydes is not happy about his upcoming title fight. Blaydes will be facing Tom Aspinall in what will be their second meeting in the UFC. The duo initially faced off at UFC Fight Night back in 2022. Although Blaydes won the bout, the fight never really gained momentum due to Aspinall’s injury. Hitting just the 15-second mark in Round 1, Aspinall suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Cut to 2024, and Blaydes and Aspinall are once again at it, only this time the stakes are higher. Aspinall is now the interim heavyweight champion, and Blaydes will surely like to have the gold strapped around his waist. But surprisingly, Curtis Blaydes does not seem to be too excited about his title matchup.
Curtis Blaydes misses the essence of a ‘real title fight’
Curtis Blaydes is aiming for big things at the moment. Looking to continue his undefeated run against Aspinall, Blaydes will be up against ‘some of the hardest knuckles in the UFC’. Aspinall has recently revealed his unique gypsy training method of dipping the knuckles for 20 minutes in order to harden them. But currently, Blaydes seems to have another problem in mind.
Expressing discontent regarding the PPV timing in Manchester, Blaydes mentioned at the UFC Denver media scrum, “The biggest difference is it’s gonna be like 4 a.m., and that’s what doesn’t really feel like a real title fight... You wouldn’t have [Conor] McGregor fight at 4 a.m. regardless of where it is in the world. That makes it feel a little less, but I don’t care."
Well, while Blaydes will be eyeing to challenge Jon Jones if he wins the fight, whether Jones will be interested in fighting again is a million-dollar question. And that is probably why Tom Aspinall has backup plans ready.
Tom Aspinall wants to fight Alex Pereira
Tom Aspinall is certain about his victory against Curtis Blaydes. However, following Jon Jones’ retirement rumors, Aspinall is trying to find himself worthy opponents. Speaking with talkSPORT recently, Aspinall mentioned a potential bout with Alex Pereira in the heavyweight division.
The UFC light heavyweight champion has put up a dominating show recently and has teased a probable move to the heavyweight. However, with opponents like Magomed Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz still left to deal with, the Aspinall v Pereira fight looks to be quite far away. And before that fight takes place, Tom Aspinall must look to focus on July 27 and retain his UFC interim heavyweight title first.
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