Tom Aspinall reacts to Ciryl Gane's coach claiming he'll be under "more pressure" than any fighter over the past decade at UFC 321

Tom Aspinall (pictured) will defend the undisputed heavyweight title at UFC 321. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]
Tom Aspinall (pictured) will defend the undisputed heavyweight title at UFC 321. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]

Ciryl Gane's coach believes Tom Aspinall will be under tremendous pressure at UFC 321. The Briton, however, is convinced that if such pressure exists, it would be a boon rather than a bane.

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During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, 'Bon Gamin's' coach Fernand Lopez claimed that Aspinall will be under more pressure than any fighter in the last decade when he faces his pupil.

As the coach sees it, failing to deliver at UFC 321 would be an embarrassment for Aspinall. Lopez's comment most likely alludes to how a loss could impact the 32-year-old, especially after his back-and-forth with former champion Jones.

For context, Jones had a flawless performance against Gane in their UFC 285 heavyweight title clash. In a bout where he took barely any damage, 'Bones' closed the show with a submission in the very first round.

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In the months since, the then-interim title holder, Aspinall, tried to secure a title unification with 'Bones' to no avail. When the consensus MMA GOAT showed no interest in the fight and eventually retired, Aspinall and many others in the fight community flayed him with ducking claims.

However, all these narratives vanish if the reigning heavyweight kingpin fails to put on a clinic against Gane. Addressing Lopez's comments in an interview with Helwani, Aspinall said:

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"That's great, because I fight really, really, really great under pressure... There are guys who I've trained [with] from my experience, who in the gym are absolute killers and they'll get in a fight and they'll freeze up... There are other guys like myself, who are not that good in the gym, but get in the lights, get under the pressure, they get in there and do things that they'll never be able to do in the gym... So any time there's pressure on me, that's when I've done my most devastating performances, and if he [Lopez] believes that, that's a fantastic thing for me."
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Check Tom Aspinall's comments below:

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UFC 321: Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane betting odds

According to Odds Shark, Tom Aspinall has opened as a -350 favorite against Ciryl Gane (+285 underdog) for UFC 321. However, with the event over two months out, the closing line might be considerably different.

Per the current odds, a successful $100 bet on the champion will yield a payout of $128.58, while the same wager on 'Bon Gamin' will offer a more lucrative winning of $385 if the Frenchman emerges the victor.

UFC 321 takes place on Oct. 25 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. In addition to the main event, a potential title eliminator between Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida is another standout fight scheduled on the card.

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Edited by Ujwal Jain
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