Tom Aspinall has opened up about a difficult moment in his MMA journey, which he describes as a 'mass ego death'.
Although the Englishman is now happy that it happened, at the time it was an extremely difficult hurdle to overcome.
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Losing to Curtis Blaydes had a huge impact on Tom Aspinall
When Tom Aspinall entered the UFC, he immediately made a splash, destroying every opponent who dared to step foot in the cage with him.
So when his big night came against Curtis Blaydes at the O2 Arena, many expected him to destroy the American in a similar fashion to his previous opponents.
However, just moments after the fight, the Briton broke his leg, leaving him flat on his back in front of his devastated supporters.
Fortunately, Aspinall managed to bounce back from the defeat and would ultimately get revenge on his rival in the rematch. But at the time it seemed like the end of the world.
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In an episode of the VechtersBazen Podcast he confessed: “When I lost the Blaydes fight with an injury, it was also a huge ego death, because lying on your back, not even really fighting, with an injured knee, in front of 25,000 home fans, that's really tough, man.
“Back then that was a title eliminator fight. But looking back on it now, it's probably the best thing that could have happened. But at the time it was very tough.”
Tom Aspinall explains why he would like to train with Brock Lesnar
Although he is known for his explosive power, it is Aspinall's fighting IQ that really sets him apart from the rest.
The 31-year-old is an avid student of mixed martial arts, spending hours watching footage of his opponents and regularly taking a look at what made the sport's greats the legends they are today.
In particular, Aspinall would jump at the chance to train with Brock Lesnar, admitting there is one thing in particular he would like to work on with the former world champion.
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