'Massive ego death'… Tom Aspinall reveals the moment in his career that mentally challenged him the most
01/06/2025 04:34 PM
Tom Aspinall has opened up about a difficult moment in his MMA journey, that he describes as a ‘Massive ego death’.
While the Englishman is now happy it occurred, at the time, it was an extremely tough hurdle to overcome.
Losing to Curtis Blaydes had a huge impact on Tom Aspinall
When Tom Aspinall entered the UFC, he instantly made a splash, destroying every opponent that dared set foot in the cage with him.
Therefore, when his big night at the O2 Arena against Curtis Blaydes came, many expected him to annihilate the American in a similar manner to his previous opponents.
However, just moments into the fight, the Brit broke his leg, leaving him flat on his back, in front of his devastated supporters.
Luckily, Aspinall managed to bounce back from the defeat, and would eventually get revenge over his rival in the rematch. But at the time, it seemed like the end of the world.
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On an episode of the VechtersBazen Podcast, he confessed: “When I lost the fight to Blaydes with an injury, that was also a massive ego death, because being on your back, not even having a fight really, with an injured knee, in front of 25,000 home fans, that’s very tough, man.
“At the time, that was a title-eliminator fight. But looking back now, it’s probably the best thing that could’ve happened. But at the time, it was very tough.”
Tom Aspinall explains the reason he'd love to train with Brock Lesnar
While renowned for his explosive power, it’s Aspinall’s fighting IQ that really sets him apart from the pack.
The 31-year-old is an avid student of mixed martial arts, watching hours of footage of his opponents, and regularly looking at what made the greats of the sport into the legends they are today.
In particular, Aspinall would jump at the chance to train with Brock Lesnar, confessing that there’s one thing in particular he’d love to work on with the former world champion.
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