Tom Aspinall: Curtis Blaydes rematch at UFC 304 is a 'lose-lose' as a result of he's 'not that in style'

Tom Aspinall admits he’s risking a complete lot by rematching Curtis Blaydes within the UFC 304 co-main occasion.

Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) will try and defend his interim heavyweight title when he runs it again with Blaydes (18-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) on July 27 at Co-op Dwell in Manchester, England (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). His dream situation was a unification bout with Jon Jones, however after acknowledging that’s seemingly not going to materialize with “Bones” decided to face Stipe Miocic subsequent, he agreed to maneuver on.

The supply that got here by was a rematch with Blaydes, who Aspinall suffered his lone UFC loss in opposition to when he suffered a knee damage simply 15 seconds into their UFC Combat Night time 208 headliner in July 2022. Aspinall likes the thought of getting again the end result on his report in opposition to Blaydes, however exterior of that, he mentioned the upside is minimal.

“There’s unfinished enterprise there, evidently,” Aspinall instructed The Mac Life. “I’ve mentioned this all alongside. I’ve mentioned this earlier than we final fought, which is over two years in the past now: I imagine that Curtis is the hardest matchup within the division for me stylistically. That is no disrespect to Curtis – it’s a little bit of a lose-lose combat in the truth that he’s not that in style, is what I’m saying. He’s not that in style.

“The fellows that you just wish to combat are the blokes who stylistically you match up effectively with, and so they’re actually in style. They’re the blokes you wish to combat, and Curtis is sort of the other of that. I’m not saying something dangerous about Curtis or something, however he’s not the preferred man ever, and he’s actually good. I’m trying ahead to it, although. None of that actually makes a distinction to me. I’m getting ready now one hundred pc for Curtis.”

After the interim title contest was booked for UFC 304, Jones chimed in on the “No. 1 contender bout” and mentioned he thinks Blaydes may pull off a respectable victory this time round.

Aspinall doesn’t begrudge Jones for that evaluation, however is just not bothered by it, as a result of he’s the one combating in simply over two months time, whereas Jones stays on the sidelines.

“He may (beat me) – it’s heavyweight MMA on the high stage,” Aspinall mentioned. “Somebody all the time may win. And I imagine in myself. Yeah, I feel I’m good. I feel I’m one of the best on the earth. However does that make me invincible? No. Completely not. It’s heavyweight MMA. One shot off Curtis and the ref is perhaps waking me up. That’s the way it works. That is heavyweight MMA on the peak of the mountain. In fact there’s an opportunity I can get knocked out. I’m totally conscious of that. However I’m placing all of it on the road, and fairly frankly, (Jones) isn’t.”

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