LONDON – Tom Aspinall is determined to win the UFC heavyweight title and believes that he was able to do so after his experience with another champion.
On Saturday, Aspinall — No. 12 fights No. 7 Alexander Volkov in the UFC London main event. Aspinall, 4-0 at UFC London with four finishes, would be the first to beat Volkov.
At Wednesday’s media day, Aspinall spoke about how past training sessions with heavyweight boxing king Tyson Fury took his career to another level.
“I think Tyson Fury’s helped me the most mentally,” Aspinall said. “Obviously, I improved a lot. My skill set improved, my boxing improved, definitely. It brought me a long way skill-wise. It was also a great mental exercise. If Tyson Fury ever gets a watch of this, ‘Thank you.’ I’ve never actually had the chance to thank him for it. His impact on my life and outlook has changed the way I view combat and fighting.
” Without him, I would not be where I’m right now. My mentality has changed drastically since training with him. This was a very long time ago, when I was still in my 20s. I didn’t know if I wanted the sport, box, or to stop fighting. He completely transformed my outlook and I’m so grateful .”
Watch Aspinall’s media conference scrum. He discusses his desire to showcase more of his game, treat Volkov as any other opponent and the UFC’s potential backing for Saturday’s main.
Jose Youngs contributed to this report on site.
