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With recent updates on Tom Aspinall's injury surfacing, Chael Sonnen took the time to talk about the Brit, airing his eagerness to see the "best heavyweight out there" step foot back into the octagon.
While it wasn't as eventful as the first UK event earlier this year, UFC London on July 23 still had some huge moments. Paddy Pimblett's mental health speech following his win over Jordan Leavitt, Molly McCann's viral knockout, and the bizarre injury in the headliner were the main talking points on the night.
Discussing the events that unfolded during a video on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen heaped nothing but praise on the young heavyweight, sharing his excitement for the fighters' eventual return to the cage:
"We got an update on Tom Aspinall's knee. So it's being reported meniscus and MCL, and as far as knee injury goes, that's okay. I mean, that's gonna hurt, that's gonna slow you down, but in some regards, it's good news... 15 second contest, I thought going into that fight, I felt in my heart, Tom might be the best heavyweight out there... I now know that I'm right. Even in those 15 seconds, I now know that I'm right... Six months. Six months until you're back full training, back in the ring within eight months."
Despite the injury cutting the fight short, Curtis Blaydes came out on top and hopes to push on and face another high-ranked heavyweight in his pursuit of a shot at UFC gold.
Check out what Chael Sonnen had to say about the surging Tom Aspinall in the video below:
What's next for Tom Aspinall?
If Chael Sonnen's estimates are correct, fans will see Tom Aspinall make his anticipated comeback by the spring of 2023, but how will the heavyweight division look upon his return?
The British heavyweight has gone on a tear through the weightclass since making his UFC debut just two years ago. Five straight finishes against Jake Collier, Alan Baudot, Sergey Spivak, Alexander Volkov, and the veteran Andrei Arlovski saw the Englishman climb his way up the rankings to a spot just outside the top five.
With a number of prospects beginning to surface at heavyweight, the division could look completely different when Aspinall finally makes his return. A clash against Ciryl Gane stands out among the rest as the most intriguing.
