Tom Aspinall is gearing up for his heavyweight title defense against Ciryl Gane, a five-round showdown that tops the upcoming UFC 321 pay-per-view (PPV) fight card in Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately, the heavy bag tasked with absorbing the Brit’s mighty blows was not up to snuff, and came crashing down during Aspinall’s latest training session.
Have a look:
Might be time for another crack at that UFC punch machine.
“Exactly why Jon Jones didn’t want that
smoke,” one fan remarked in Aspinall’s comment section, while another added, “Jon was scared of exactly that.”
Jones opted to vacate the heavyweight title instead of unifying the belts against Aspinall. Whether or not that means “Bones” is retired remains unclear, since Jones continues to play mind games on social media.
“I have to assume this is a nerve-racking spot for Tom Aspinall because he talked himself into a position, and we’ve all talked him into a position, where he’s the best guy,” former UFC lightweight and current MMA analyst, Din Thomas, told MMA Junkie. “Jon dismissed him and dismissed him and dismissed him. Then Jon dispatched of Ciryl Gane.”
“Anything less than a first-round finish is going to be almost a disappointment for Tom Aspinall,” Thomas continued. “Even a close win is going to be like, ‘See, I told you, I beat that guy in seconds.’ This is actually a pretty tough spot for Tom. If this fight had happened earlier it might be different, but this is a tough spot for Tom.”
To see who else is fighting at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi click here.
