Tom Aspinall pulled off an extraordinary achievement at UFC 304 last month, overcoming Curtis Blaydes to defend his interim heavyweight title. However, Aspinall has now revealed that he accomplished the feat with absolutely no sleep the night before the fight. Here’s the story behind it:
In a recent appearance on the Believe You Me podcast, Aspinall spoke with Anthony Smith and Michael Bisping about the sleepless night before his fight against Blaydes. The British fighter shared that he was unable to rest for a full 24 hours leading up to the bout, overwhelmed by a stream of negative thoughts while lying awake in his hotel room.
“I ended up lying there for four or five hours without sleep. By the time I fought, around 6 am, I’d been awake nearly 24 hours,” Aspinall explained during the podcast. The pressure of performing on home soil, with thousands of fans supporting him, left him restless and anxious throughout the night.
Despite the exhaustion, Aspinall secured a decisive first-round TKO, finishing Blaydes in just 60 seconds with a barrage of punches and ground-and-pound. This victory was especially meaningful as it avenged his previous loss to Blaydes due to a knee injury in their first encounter.
Aspinall has since addressed Jon Jones’ recent tweet hinting at retirement. After Aspinall’s dominant title defense, rumors swirled that Jones was avoiding a fight with him. Following a social media exchange, Jones hinted at stepping away after his upcoming fight with Stipe Miocic in November.
Jones, 37, stated he wanted to retire on a high note, comparing himself to sports legends like Tom Brady and Floyd Mayweather. In response, Aspinall humorously posted on Instagram, asking Jones to pass him the belt if he leaves the octagon victorious.