Eight months of surgeries, setbacks, and sideline frustration have a way of changing a fighter. Tom Aspinall, 33, entered UFC 321 last October as one of the most beloved and fan-friendly heavyweights on the roster. Now, he is coming back as something different.
Aspinall confirmed this week that he is back in full training and that discussions with the UFC regarding his rematch with Ciryl Gane are already underway. His manager Eddie Hearn separately confirmed on The Ariel Helwani Show that the UFC has been officially informed
So, he is very much ready to return. A heavyweight unification bout is now squarely on the table and Aspinall has already signaled he is walking into it with a different mentality.
Tom Aspinall’s Long Road Back After UFC 321 No-Contest Against Ciryl Gane
It has been eight months since Ciryl Gane’s eye pokes ended the Abu Dhabi main event abruptly without any result. After the frustrating no-contest, his advisor Eddie Hearn mentioned that Aspinall needed multiple eye surgeries and was warned he could actually lose his sight.
At one point, his depth perception was so bad that he couldn’t drive and would completely miss people’s hands when trying to shake them.
The irony? UFC 321’s abrupt ending is now part of history because it became the first time a UFC title fight ended in a no-contest inside the Octagon. Many on social media made fun of him. Those clips and videos are still available online, but Aspinall remained radio silent.
But seven months ago, back in November, he made a post. Whatever he wrote in that post, if he really meant it, then we are going to see a “villain” Aspinall in the unification fight against interim titleholder Gane, which is still in talks.
Tom Aspinall Drops His Old Tag as Eddie Hearn Pushes UFC for Better Contract Terms
In that old post, he drew a clear line, saying, “When I come back, there is no more ‘Mr Nice Guy. Nice Tom, when it comes to MMA, is gone. I’m going full bad guy.”
Hearn is already pushing for a better contract before any title defense is signed and didn’t hold back about the contract either, saying, “Contractually, the numbers are completely unfair in terms of the value that Tom Aspinall brings to that fight. What we’re asking for is just to be respected.”
Since joining Matchroom, Aspinall has already made over a million dollars outside the UFC through sponsors and his podcast. That is more than he makes from actually fighting right now. Because of that, the UFC can’t just ignore Hearn. Aspinall doesn’t need to beg for a fight; he knows what he’s worth.
Plus, Gane just knocked out Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 to win the interim belt. However, Aspinall alleged that Gane landed illegal strikes to the back of Pereira’s head during the finish.
Still, the win sets up the big title fight everyone wants to see. A “bad guy” version of Aspinall just makes this matchup way easier to sell to fans.
