Din Thomas thinks there’s a massive amount of pressure on UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) waited for over a year for his title-unification bout with Jon Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) to materialize, but Jones eventually retired and relinquished the championship. As a result, Aspinall was promoted as undisputed champion and will meet Ciryl Gane in the UFC 321 headliner Oct. 25 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Thomas says Aspinall has to top Jones’ performance against Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), where he needed just over two minutes to submit him at UFC 285.
“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,” Thomas told MMA Junkie. “Jon dismissed him and dismissed him and dismissed him. Then Jon dispatched of Ciryl Gane.
“So anything less than a first-round finish is going to be almost a disappointment for Tom Aspinall. 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.”
With Jones already claiming he’s out of retirement and wants to compete on next year’s White House event, Thomas urges Aspinall to capitalize if he can get past Gane.
“Fighters always think they’re more important than they are,” Thomas said. “We’ll get to find out how important he really is. But a win here can really make him important. A big win against Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi and he grabs that mic, that’s going to be the most important minute of his entire life. To be like, ‘Yo, I just beat the guy that you beat, I beat him in two minutes and two seconds, and now I want to fight Jon Jones at the White House.’ It’s written. …It doesn’t matter if it happens or not. It doesn’t matter.
“But the idea of him saying that. Just attaching himself, further attaching himself, to the situation. Now there’s no denying. Now what would Jon Jones’ rebuttal be. Now he can’t say anything. That’s the biggest thing. Even if the fight doesn’t happen and Tom Aspinall goes on his run. If I’m Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones dismisses me, I’m going on a run. I’m beating up Derrick Lewis. I’m going after Jailton Almeida. I’m going after all these guys and create my won lane. But to say that to Jon Jones would be the nail in the coffin to me to Jon Jones’ rebuttals.”
