Tom Aspinall wants to be ‘best heavyweight ever’ ahead of Curtis Blaydes rematch

UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has his eyes set on being “the best heavyweight ever” as he prepares for his rematch with Curtis Blaydes in Manchester on Saturday.

The 31-year-old Salford-born fighter is preparing to face Blaydes on home soil on July 27th, two years after he suffered a knee injury just 15 seconds into his first bout with the American which ultimately ended in defeat at the O2 Arena.

Laying on the canvas with a medial collateral ligament injury, Aspinall pinpoints the moment which made him change his lifestyle and has since earned the interim heavyweight title with a win over Sergei Pavlovich on two weeks’ notice at Madison Square Garden.

Following his defeat to Blaydes in London, Aspinall admitted he did not know whether he wanted to carry on fighting but insists the injury was a blessing in disguise.

He told the PA news agency: “I want to be the best heavyweight ever and that’s what I’m working towards.

“I got to a point where I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and whether I wanted to carry on fighting or not.

“I changed a lot of things – if I’m going to carry on with this sport I need to go all in and be my best. If I do try my best and doesn’t work out at least I can look myself in the mirror and know I tried.

“At the time it was terrible but it’s one of the best things that has happened to me, not even in my career but in my life.”

Aspinall has fought in England before, but it will be the first time the heavyweight will line up so close to home in front of his own fans at the first sporting event at the Co-op Live arena.

Aspinall’s clash with Blaydes will be the co-main event of the evening before welterweight champion Leon Edwards meets Belal Muhammad for the title, but the timings of