Could Tom Aspinall beat prime Daniel Cormier? UFC heavyweight champion shares preview for an "absolute nightmare matchup"

None of Tom Aspinall's UFC opponents so far has been able to present any real danger to him. The reigning heavyweight champion has secured all his wins via knockouts, and apart from dropping a TKO to Curtis Blaydes due to an injury, the Englishman holds a spotless record in the Dana White helmed fight promotion.

This, coupled with Jon Jones' reluctance to face him, has led many to wonder how Aspinall would match up against the heavyweight legends of the sport, including Daniel Cormier.

Cormier's aggressive wrestling and punching power made him a nightmare matchup for anyone during his prime. 'DC' is also among the few fighters who have achieved double championship glory in the UFC.

Aspinall believes prime Cormier would've been a real handful for him. Addressing the fantasy match-up on his YouTube channel, the heavyweight kingpin said:

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"I say it every time when I see 'DC'. I think he is an absolute nightmare matchup for me. He’s short, fit, he's a good wrestler, [and] keeps coming at you. He would have been very, very hard work for me, but I believe I have the power to knock anybody out. So, I think I could beat him, but stylistically he is a terrible matchup for me."

Check out Tom Aspinall's comments about a fantasy matchup against Daniel Cormier below:

After a long hiatus born from a failed title unification plan with Jones, Aspinall is finally set to return at UFC 321 against Ciryl Gane, where he'd attempt his first heavyweight title defense.

Alex Pereira shares his take on Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane

Alex Pereira believes Ciryl Gane could present trouble for Tom Aspinall, the likes of which the Briton hasn't come up against in his UFC career. As 'Poatan' sees it, Aspinall is used to fighting aggressive opponents, and the Frenchman has much more than just aggression in store.

During a media interaction in the lead-up to UFC 320, the Brazilian claimed that Gane's speed and footwork could make it a struggle for Aspinall to connect shots as he usually does:

"It's a tough fight. Tom is a complete fighter, but I do think he has fought a lot of aggressive guys, and I think Gane is a guy who is going to do a lot of movement, he is going to be a little more cautious, and just moving around a lot. I might frustrate Tom. So, first, second, third round, maybe Tom can't find Ciryl Gane, so I think it's going to be a different fight."

About the author

Ujwal Jain is a sports journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda and holds a bachelor's degree in mass communication and journalism. He has been practicing martial arts from an early age and won several accolades at national-level competitions in karate and Taekwondo. He also holds a back belt in karate. Ujwal loves fact-checking, helping out with related research, and being a fresh set of eyes for fellow writers’ articles.

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