Tom Aspinall had a great start to his UFC career. The English fighter worked hard and climbed up, dominating everyone in the UFC heavyweight division. He currently reigns as the UFC interim heavyweight champion. This weekend, he will fight against Curtis Blaydes in the co-main event of UFC 304. However, apart from his dominating fight record at UFC, he has other intriguing records in his name as well.
In his youth, Aspinall explored a variety of combat styles, immersing himself in BJJ, submission wrestling, Olympic wrestling, boxing, Thai boxing, and kickboxing. After delving into multiple disciplines, he chose to focus on mixed martial arts. It is a comprehensive combat form that incorporates various techniques into a single discipline.
He climbed the ranks in several MMA leagues before joining the UFC in 2020. The fighter from Manchester triumphed in his initial five matches. With that, he established himself as a must-see athlete with a talent for ending fights early. In his first five fights, four of his victories came in the first round, and the fifth concluded in the second round. Unfortunately, he experienced his first loss in the UFC to Curtis Blaydes due to a knee injury.
Coming forward to the present, his rematch against Blaydes at UFC 304 is the first defense he’s had of his title belt. The event is a significant one for Aspinall, as it will take place in his hometown of Manchester alongside other fights featuring British fighters. The main event of the card features Leon Edwards‘ welterweight title defense against Belal Muhammad, with Aspinall set to fight in the co-main event. Returning to his UFC records, let’s delve into his intriguing achievements.
Shortest average fight time in the octagon (minimum 5 fights)
Tom Aspinall has achieved the remarkable distinction of having the shortest fighting time inside the octagon. This feat is courtesy of his dominant striking performances. Aspinall has entered the octagon eight times in his UFC career. However, from those eight times, he has come out victorious seven times during the first round of the fight.
Tom Aspinall after defeating Alexander Volkov (via The Mirror)According to UFC statistics, Tom Aspinall holds the record for the shortest average fight time in the UFC, clocking in at just 2.10 seconds. He has competed eight times and has only been defeated once. Despite this single loss, he has achieved notable victories against renowned heavyweights such as Sergei Pavlovich, Alexander Volkov, and Marcin Tybura.
Bottom position time
Tom Aspinall has quite another unique record to his name. The British fighter has shown a strong aversion to hitting the canvas during his fights. In his eight UFC appearances, Aspinall has spent just 1 second on his back lying on the canvas. This made him spend the least time in that position among all fighters in the UFC.
Tom Aspinall knocks out Serghei Pavlovich (via The Sun)Apparently, that one second came into the records when Aspinall slipped and fell on the canvas while kicking Sergei Pavlovich. This also indicates that nobody has really tested Aspinall’s ground game yet. It will be far more interesting to see how a fighter who wrestles would tackle the English fighter.
