UFC 304 co-headliner Tom Aspinall achieved his title ambitions on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in emphatic fashion last November.
The interim heavyweight champion will return in the co-main event of this weekend’s pay-per-view card at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England, where he’s tasked with defending his belt in a rematch against Curtis Blaydes.
The pair first collided at a London-held UFC Fight Night back in the summer of 2021. The bout lasted just 15 seconds, with a devastating knee injury suffered by Aspinall bringing it to a premature end and handing the Brit his first Octagon setback.
Aspinall has since rebounded in a major way, first by getting the better of Marcin Tybura last July and then by capturing interim UFC gold in a short-notice clash with Sergei Pavlovich four months later.
After an injury to Jon Jones saw his planned heavyweight defense against Stipe Miocic off the UFC 295 card, Aspinall stepped up to meet the original backup fighter at Madison Square Garden.
Despite a lack of preparation and not being at full fitness, the Englishman closed the show in just over a minute, stopping his Russian counterpart by way of knockout to have a UFC title wrapped around his waist.
Ahead of Saturday’s event, the promotion has released the full Aspinall vs. Pavlovich fight from UFC 295 on its official YouTube channel.
Aspinall will hope to repeat that performance at the expense of Blaydes this weekend.
Should he accomplish that feat on home soil, the Mancunian heavyweight will keep ahold of his interim belt and perhaps strengthen calls for Jon Jones to face him in a unification showdown.
