Tom Aspinall: Wait for Jon Jones fight mentally harder than dismissal in the past in the past

Tom Aspinall has already dealt with going out of his back. But this time there is no schedule if he could fight again.

July 23, 2022. The date of the only UFC defeat from Aspinall. Fifteen seconds after a headliner with Curtis Blaydes in London spent Aspinall's knee. The injury slows down the meteoric rise of Aspinall in the ranks and only almost exactly a year later when he successfully returns with a 73-second knockout by Marcin Tybura. A fight later strikes Aspinall Sergei Pavlovich even faster to capture an intermediate championship title.

Since then, Aspinall has diligently defended his title and successfully revenge his defeat against Blaydes last July and made it clear that he wanted to fight Jon Jones against the undisputed champion. The former King in the main heavyweight defeated Ciryl Gane to conquer a free heavyweight title after Francis Ngannous UFC departure, and then defended his belt against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, a year after a Jones injury forced her original booking.

Aspinall spoke to Demetrious Johnson on the Powerfulabout how this recent release is compared with his one -year recovery of injuries.

“I had the big injury and then I was really on a crossroads as if I had earned a little money, I had done enough to buy a house and so, and then it was like I was going on with this thing?” Said Aspinall. “It was obviously devastating to injure yourself and so. But it was still a difficult time for me. I came with rehab with the knee and everything … the physiotherapy and all these kinds of things. I always had a small goal to work on it.

“So after a few months in which I was sitting on the couch as soon as I could come in the gym and could work towards different things, it was great and I felt good, I said: 'I would definitely like to come back. Now I will go, I have no injuries, I will win the heavyweight championship.

When Aspinall recovered from injuries to his MCL and his meniscus, he knew that it would be a long way back, but this road was at least lined with many tangible benchmarks. His waiting for Jones has dragged itself on for over a year, assuming that the undisputed champion would welcome a unification fight with the interim champion.

That was not the case.

“Now I was inactive for almost a year and has no prospects for anything except for waiting,” said Aspinall. “Now it is mentally a tricky time for me than then. Even people were like this: 'Are you fine? How are you dealing with with it?' And so I was good, I have to contact me in two weeks or two months.

“It is mentally difficult, but this is the fight against Jon Jones. The fight is another thing, this is the difficult piece in which I really stay on, remain motivated and I try my best. Sometimes it is difficult.”

One thing that Aspinall has claimed for a long time is that he is not responsible for Jones if his reluctance to compete again is simply a question of money, especially with the long -term light heavyweight, which is great, probably only a few fights in his career.

He hopes that the situation will end with the undisputed heavyweight belt around his waist.

“To be honest, I can see Jons point of view,” said Aspinall. “I understand. I understand. It's just about the title for me. I just want the title, that's it. Nothing else is really important.