Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has identified one particular UFC knockout as the most significant of his career.
Aspinall is currently awaiting a potential unification bout against undisputed champion Jon Jones. UFC CEO Dana White has firmly stated that their fight is guaranteed to happen sometime in 2025.
As he awaits his next fight date, Aspinall recently reflected on what he considers the most impactful victory of his UFC career.
Tom Aspinall Reflects on the Pavlovich Knockout
Aspinall`s standout moment came in November 2023 at UFC 295, when he accepted a short-notice fight against Sergei Pavlovich.
Pavlovich, known as a devastating striker, was on an impressive streak of six consecutive first-round knockout victories, positioning him as a formidable top contender.
Despite Pavlovich`s fearsome reputation, Aspinall delivered a stunning performance, securing the interim title with a knockout win in just 69 seconds.
In a recent interview, when asked about his favorite knockout, Aspinall responded:
Probably Pavlovich. I took the fight on short notice, I wasn’t in shape, flew across the world. Like, everything was against me in that fight, and I still managed to do it. At that time, Pavlovich was on a six-fight, first-round knockout streak. He was just smashing everybody. So, I think Pavlovich, for sure.
Aspinall Expresses Frustration Over Waiting for Jon Jones
More recently, in July, Tom Aspinall successfully defended his interim title by knocking out Curtis Blaydes in just 60 seconds at UFC 304.
Since that defense, he has been waiting for the opportunity to face Jones and prove himself as the undisputed best heavyweight in MMA.
However, Aspinall recently voiced his frustration, stating he`s `had enough` of waiting for Jones, suggesting that Jones seems to be avoiding the matchup.
Oh, I’m well bored of it. I’ve had enough. I think we either need to fight or I need to move on and do something else and like I said, I’m going to find out. Literally, today is the day that I’ve been waiting 3-4 months for and I’m going to find out today.
Rupert Hartwell