Renowned mixed martial arts coach Eric Nicksick was left impressed by the ability of Tom Aspinall when the interim UFC heavyweight champion stopped by the Xtreme Couture gym.
Aspinall is currently gearing up for his first assignment of 2024. It's set to be a big one, as he'll defend the interim belt in a rematch with veteran contender Curtis Blaydes in the co-main event of the UFC 304 pay-per-view.
While not the unification showdown with Jon Jones that he had hoped for, Aspinall will be making the walk in front of his home crowd, with Manchester's Co-op Live hosting UFC action for the very first time.
Should Aspinall emerge with the interim title still in his possession, those pushing for Jones to abandon his plans to face Stipe Miocic will no doubt grow louder. Many of them are so high on Aspinall that they believe he could get the better of the consensus greatest of all time.
And when it comes to those with a keen eye for talent, Aspinall couldn't do much better than one recent endorsement...
Nicksick High On Aspinall After Xtreme Couture Training
During a recent interview with talkSPORT MMA, Xtreme Couture coach Eric Nicksick looked ahead to the UFC's next numbered event, paying particular attention to one of two champs set to headline it on July 27.
During a trip to the US earlier this year, Aspinall got some work in with Nicksick at his Las Vegas facility. In addition to the pair bonding and forming a friendship, the renowned coach got to see first hand the kind of skills that have left the interim champ widely branded the leader in the next generation of heavyweights.
Man, he was just as advertised as an athlete, but I think moreover just the human being that he is," Nicksick said. "You see these guys on TV and you see their athleticism and how well they fight. That's one thing, but then when you get to meet the individual and actually have a conversation with him and see how great of a human being they are, that even raises your level of enthusiasm.
Him and his brother came in and they were just a joy to work with," Nicksick continued. "I'm a Tom Aspinall fan and I'm super excited to see him fight. ... He's in that top three (heavyweights in the world), a hundred percent. And I think he's just scratching the surface with his potential. The athleticism that he has, from the feet to the floor, what he's able to do, all of it is very high level. The thing I noticed the most about him was his feet, how well he moved side to side; his lateral moment, his speed. ... Honest to god, he hits pads like some of my 145ers. He understands the angles and how to hit and not be hit.
Aspinall will look to show the talents Nicksick mentioned when he makes the walk on home soil for the third consecutive year.
And having had his headliner with Blaydes end in disaster in the summer of 2022, the Manchester native has the chance to right that wrong and avenge the sole setback on his UFC slate thus far.
Nicksick himself will likely be watching on, be it from the arena or fighter hotel in the English city. The top coach is scheduled to be at UFC 304 to corner Manel Kape for his flyweight showdown with Muhammad Mokaev on the main card.