'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Tom Aspinall has revealed what it was like for him prior to signing for the promotion and how hard it was for his previous employers to find him opponents.
The Brit has been in destructive form inside the octagon since arriving from the United Kingdom-based organization, Cage Warriors. Having already finished former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and earned a devastating elbow knockout over Sergey Spivak, the Englishman continues to spearhead his way through the division.
Speaking on a recent episode of UFC Connected, Tom Aspinall detailed the struggles that led him to MMA's biggest stage, saying:
"Cage Warriors were really struggling to get me opponents and they told me that. And I thought, if Cage Warriors release me, I'm back to square one. So it's either, I go to the UFC now or I'm back to where I was two years ago, so obviously we went for the UFC, and obviously, it was the right move, so I'm happy with it."
The heavyweight had a hard time with multiple promotions as they scrambled to find the man some challengers. Although he may think his move to American MMA was premature, his performances have said otherwise.
Get to know the emerging Aspinall in the UFC Connected video below:
Tom Aspinall's UFC career thus far
It took Tom Aspinall just 45-seconds to cap his octagon debut off with a win when he met Jake Collier back in July 2020. A crushing knee and two-punch combo put the division on notice and set him up for further success.
Next, a first-round TKO finish of Alan Baudot earned him a chance to fight the legendary Andrei Arlovski. Like all his previous fights, the 13-fight veteran made short work of 'The Pitbull', submitting him inside seven minutes.
In late 2021, the heavy-hitter fought on Darren Till's undercard and scored a knockout win over the aforementioned Sergey Spivak. While there are still questions to be asked due to the lack of challenges he's faced inside the cage, the promising Englishman looks like a real threat to those in his weight class.
Just four fights into his career with the UFC, Tom Aspinall finds himself headlining an event in his home country. In a fight that is sure to be his biggest test yet, Aspinall is set to come face-to-face with the towering Alexander Volkov at UFC London on March 19.
