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UFC Insider Wary About Tom Aspinall Facing Curtis Blaydes: ‘Possibly a Big Mistake’
UFC insider cautions Tom Aspinall on facing Curtis Blaydes, branding it a 'big mistake' due to potential stylistic challenges and career implications.
Tom Aspinall will repent his decision to face Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. As per Chael Sonnen’s claims, going against Blaydes might end up biting Aspinall in the back. Aspinall, who is the interim heavyweight champion, has been looking to fight Jon Jones for the title. Unfortunately, Jones has shown little to no interest in making the fight. Instead, ‘Bones’ seems to be more inclined towards settling the unfinished business with Stipe Miocic.
Stuck in the doldrums, Aspinall had no other options than to defend his interim title. While a victory over Blaydes can further strengthen Aspinall’s chances of an undisputed title shot, any slip-ups might prove to be extremely costly. And that is exactly what Chael Sonnen is wary of.
Chael Sonnen details Tom Aspinall’s mistake
Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes have already met once in the UFC. Back in 2022, Blaydes managed to defeat Aspinall in under 15 seconds via a total knockout. Thus, coming back for the second time, while Aspinall will eye redemption, for Blaydes, it will be a familiar territory to tread on.
Speaking recently in an episode of Tim Welch’s Red Hawk Recap podcast, Chael Sonnen opened up about the UFC 304 main event. He stated, “Possibly a big mistake for everybody involved. Possibly a mistake for booking this match. Curtis Blaydes has already beaten him once, you say whatever you want about the fight, he already walked into the same territory which is supposed to be an advantage."
Sonnen continued, "He’s gone into this crowd, he’s already slept in this hotel, he’s already experienced this time change which are all supposed to be advantages to Tom.”
Well, whether Sonnen is right about the matchup or not can only be answered post UFC 304. There have been a couple of interesting developments regarding the fight. Recently, Curtis Blaydes has expressed his discontent about the timing of the fight. On the contrary, Tom Aspinall is preparing for the fight in a unique manner.
Curtis Blaydes misses the excitement of a ‘real title fight’
The main event of UFC 304 is scheduled for a 4 am kickoff in Manchester. And that is something that does not sit well with Curtis Blaydes. He opined at the UFC Denver Media scrum that a fight so early in the morning dilutes the essence and excitement of a title clash. He also took a dig at the UFC stating that someone like Conor McGregor would never have agreed on such a schedule. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall does not seem to be bothered by any outside variables.
Opening up in a recent interview, Aspinall detailed his unique training method for UFC 304. He mentioned waking up at 4 am while dipping his knuckles in petroleum for 20 minutes. This way, the knuckles become hard and Aspinall claims to have the ‘hardest knuckles in the UFC’. Thus, with a lot going on in the heavyweight division, the outcome of the match will surely have a significant impact on the future dynamics.
ALSO READ: Tom Aspinall Reveals New Technique to Get Better of Alex Pereira: ‘Rugby Tackle Him’
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