Tom Aspinall Says Injury Made Him a Better Fighter
Tom Aspinall impressed fans in London when he knocked out Marcin Tybura in the main event when the UFC returned to London on Saturday. It was roughly a year ago he suffered a knee injury against Curtis Blaydes and the road back had him considering an end to his career but sometimes, a pause can make for a good reset to change your outlook on the future.
It might sound odd for someone to call an injury “the best thing that ever happened to them, but when asked about the time off Aspinall told the media afterward, “I just feel so good about everything and I really really needed that reset.”
Aspinall then admitted that he had become overwhelmed with everything that comes with competing at the level he is at. Whether or not it was imposter syndrome he did not say but he felt pressure to accept fights and question himself as he climbed the ladder of the UFC’s best heavyweights.
“I was just like, ‘Oh I’ve been good to this far, I’ll be good for another one.’ Then the UFC offered me another fight that I think I can win and then they offered me another fight with more money. A new contract all this good stuff and I just feel like I couldn’t say ‘no.’”
The injury gave him time to reflect and watch the sport to realize he is as good if not better than the heavyweights he shares the division with. During his recovery when asked if he was going to do something else, he would say, “I’m going to be back.”
He added, “For a few days I didn’t believe that I could be back in all honesty. I really thought about quitting this sport and doing something else because that was horrible but we’re back now.”
Aspinall did not want to come off as trying to be a motivational speaker but professional athletes adopt that role whether they want to or not and he is no exception. He said folks should set small goals for themselves to achieve whatever they are trying to achieve and obviously, taking a break can change perspective.
Aspinall’s confidence is so high when asked about facing Jon Jones he said this:
It looks like Aspinall is all better now.
