Tom Aspinall: How I’m mentally different from #UFC321 foe Ciryl Gane

[Gregoire1]

Tom seems like a decent guy, but if i was him i'd talk a little less and thinking before saying the first thing that is flying in my mind.
his talk to fight ratio is on par with Chimaev's.

A unanimously recognized Goat shouldn't think; he should speak the truth to his flock! "18-0. Great cardio, super high fighting IQ, great grappler, beat best eva HWs, others just ducked him." This mantra is base minimum.
Otherwise, they might doubt his chosenness and holiness and would stop defending him with such fury, vehemence and high IQ on this forum, without sleep, lunch breaks, or rest..

 

[mkess101]

Exhibit A, @Only Here for Attachments ^^^

Dude has lost his marbles ranting about a guy who will never know he exists. You can't think that's healthy lmao

 

[Gregoire1]

Oh, here's a prime example of a cult adherent in a vacuum. The uncontrollable verbal diarrhea for the public's amusement continues. I'm afraid this isn't just an obsessive-compulsive disorder, but also a health hazard not only in the long term but also right now. Oh, man.

The poor guy has made it his mission to defend his Goat for the public's amusement 100,500 times a day with millions of posts. He needs to show off the Goat, maybe they'll at least grant him an audience, or maybe... Okay, I'll keep quiet.
This reminds me a lot of Mad Max and the servants of Immortal Joe. I won't bullshit him here anymore, because I'm afraid after Aspinall's defeat (not the fourth, but only the first—that's important!) he won't be able to swallow anymore.
In fact, even if such lunatics were paid, it would be hellish and thankless work, oh, damn...

 

[mkess101]

Type another novel lmao!! You totally aren't obsessed!^^^^^

 

[RockyLockridge]

Hoping for a gane victory

 

[Lee Danger]

A unanimously recognized Goat shouldn't think; he should speak the truth to his flock! "18-0. Great cardio, super high fighting IQ, great grappler, beat best eva HWs, others just ducked him." This mantra is base minimum.
Otherwise, they might doubt his chosenness and holiness and would stop defending him with such fury, vehemence and high IQ on this forum, without sleep, lunch breaks, or rest..

nothing against him just because his fandom may be annoying, the guy is still a nice person and compared to his competition he's winning by a large margin the eye test; it's just that bad feeling when a fighter has more bold statments than fights under his belt.

 

[mkess101]

nothing against him just because his fandom may be annoying, the guy is still a nice person and compared to his competition he's winning by a large margin the eye test; it's just that bad feeling when a fighter has more bold statments than fights under his belt.

Watching a HW wreck everyone and get fans is "annoying"?

The funny thing is that you wouldn't have too many people adamantly defending Aspinall if the Jones dickriders hadn't so fervently gone apeshit about the situation and tried to pretend a unification bout was some kind of huge ask.

 

[CatchtheseHands]

You have a source he didn't get paid? Because he said the UFC wasn't offering alternate opponents as they kept telling him they'd get the Jones fight made. Contracts are written so that the UFC must offer fighters x number of fights per year. If they weren't, that means they were literally paying Aspinall to wait for them to get the Jones fight made.

I said in a follow up post to neck that I admittedly don't know if he got paid or not so I'll take the L if he indeed was getting paid to wait around but even still, Tom trying to call out Cyril for taking time off to a film a movie while he himself essentially took time off to film Youtube video's is kind of hypocritical which was my main point I was trying to make.

To be fair, the concept of having to defend an interim belt even once, let alone multiple times, is pretty ridiculous.

I know it's ridiculous and I'm not saying he should have defended again after Curtis, I only said that to make a point that Tom could have stayed active during this time but chose not to go film Youtube video's and go on podcasts. Yes Tom's motivations and circumstances behind why he did this were different to Gane but the fact still stands that he chose to be inactive to do something else just as Gane did so trying to give Gane flack just because his motivations weren't as noble or righteous as his is lame IMO.

Why should an interim champ defend even once when there’s a “real” champ? And ok, he did and that’s pretty much uncharted territory on its own but twice? Nah.

I know it's ridiculous and I'm not saying he should have defended again after Curtis, I only said that to make a point that Tom could have stayed active during this time but chose not to go film Youtube video's and go on podcasts. Yes Tom's motivations and circumstances behind why he did this were different to Gane but the fact still stands that he chose to be inactive to do something else just as Gane did so trying to give Gane flack just because his motivations weren't as noble or righteous as his is lame IMO.

I mean, there's a pretty clear difference between a) filming a movie and b) staying ready, presumably training with all that unused movie-time.

This is a difference that definitely relates to a different mindset, in terms of values. Tom's point here is pretty rocksolid.

The only thing i think one could take issue with here is that its very easy to say you wouldn't shoot a movie for a hundred million but until such time as that actual offer has been made and you've rejected it, its just talk.

But, if we take Tom at his word here, then yeah, pretty huge difference.

Except Tom wasn't spending all his time staying ready. He was filming Youtube video's, going to UFC events and going on media tours so why is it that he can do that while still being dedicated to his craft but Gane can't film a movie without still being dedicated to his craft? It's pretty hypocritical.

 

[mkess101]

I said in a follow up post to neck that I admittedly don't know if he got paid or not so I'll take the L if he indeed was getting paid to wait around but even still, Tom trying to call out Cyril for taking time off to a film a movie while he himself essentially took time off to film Youtube video's is kind of hypocritical which was my main point I was trying to make.


I know it's ridiculous and I'm not saying he should have defended again after Curtis, I only said that to make a point that Tom could have stayed active during this time but chose not to go film Youtube video's and go on podcasts. Yes Tom's motivations and circumstances behind why he did this were different to Gane but the fact still stands that he chose to be inactive to do something else just as Gane did so trying to give Gane flack just because his motivations weren't as noble or righteous as his is lame IMO.

I know it's ridiculous and I'm not saying he should have defended again after Curtis, I only said that to make a point that Tom could have stayed active during this time but chose not to go film Youtube video's and go on podcasts. Yes Tom's motivations and circumstances behind why he did this were different to Gane but the fact still stands that he chose to be inactive to do something else just as Gane did so trying to give Gane flack just because his motivations weren't as noble or righteous as his is lame IMO.

Except Tom wasn't spending all his time staying ready. He was filming Youtube video's, going to UFC events and going on media tours so why is it that he can do that while still being dedicated to his craft but Gane can't film a movie without still being dedicated to his craft? It's pretty hypocritical.

I guess it could come across as him criticizing Gane, but more it seems like him just pointing out the difference in mindset.

As for the "other stuff" Aspinall was doing...it's not remotely the same as filming a movie. (Especially if you're a main character and in a lot of scenes). Tom taking a couple hours out of the day to film dumb TikTok videos or whatever still leaves most of the day to train. Gane was likely filming morning until night, he wouldn't have much time for other stuff.

 

[haj02]

Tom seems like a decent guy, but if i was him i'd talk a little less and thinking before saying the first thing that is flying in my mind.
his talk to fight ratio is on par with Chimaev's.

At least Khamzat has some charisma to go with it as well. Tom just seems like an awkward three musketeer wannabe.

 

[mkess101]

At least Khamzat has some charisma to go with it as well. Tom just seems like an awkward three musketeer wannabe.

Shocking with your av and tagline you'd have this take.

 

[haj02]

Shocking with your av and tagline you'd have this take.

Am I wrong or is Tom a charisma machine but no one has caught up yet? His entire PPV attraction potential is based on a) being British but Paddy is more popular as again he actually has some charisma and b) based on the fact that he wanted to fight Jones and didn't get to. He'll do about as well as Francis did at the box office, marginally better due to the British fan base and even that will be limited as he could walk through most British cities without being asked for an autograph or photo.

 

[mkess101]

Am I wrong or is Tom a charisma machine but no one has caught up yet? His entire PPV attraction potential is based on a) being British but Paddy is more popular as again he actually has some charisma and b) based on the fact that he wanted to fight Jones and didn't get to. He'll do about as well as Francis did at the box office, marginally better due to the British fan base and even that will be limited as he could walk through most British cities without being asked for an autograph or photo.

I wouldn't say he's some massively charismatic guy...I haven't thought about it much TBH. I enjoy the actual MMA aspect, and if someone is winning and doing it by wrecking everyone they will eventually build a good fan base.
PPV drawing power is now irrelevant with the Paramount deal.

 

[markg171]

I'm talking between waiting to fight Jon or doing a movie like Cyril did.

Jon was injured for a year and will still get blamed for Aspinall sitting on his ass during that time

 

[volcom5]

After everything we've been through, I will be sad if Cyril Gane becomes HW Champ again.

It’s a possibility, but why? Isnt this what you people wanted? The petition to have Jones stripped, what did everyone expect is and was going to happened? The HW is the weakest it’s ever been in MMA history in terms of skilled fighters, Gane is the most likely opponent for the vacant HW belt, so if he were to beat Aspinall it shouldn’t bother anyone, because the matchups are exactly what people wanted.

 

[markg171]

It’s a possibility, but why? Isnt this what you people wanted? The petition to have Jones stripped, what did everyone expect is and was going to happened? The HW is the weakest it’s ever been in MMA history in terms of skilled fighters, Gane is the most likely opponent for the vacant HW belt, so if he were to beat Aspinall it shouldn’t bother anyone, because the matchups are exactly what people wanted.

It's hard for them to walk back calling Gane a can for the last 2 years to try and discredit Jon.

 

[Hdfi]

The big thing is Aspinall has never faced real adversity. He's never been in 5 round fight so we can see what he's really made of. He's still never faced an elite caliber fighter, because there is none at heavyweight in 2025. First time we saw him face any adversity vs Blaydes 1 he immediately wilted. " But that's because he destroys everyone he fights" so did Shane Carwin before he met that pro wrestler dude.

Blaydes and Volkov have more top ten wins than Islam Makhachev. Pavlovich was on the longest first-round knockout win streak in UFC history (6) when he lost to Aspinall. The idea that he never faced elite opponents is nonsense.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

Here's the problem with that line of thinking:
Aspinall was being told by his multi billion dollar employer the entire time to sit tight and the Jones fight would get made. UFC contracts are written that fighters either must be offered x number of fights per year, OR be compensated as though they were given those fights. So logic tells us that yes, Aspinall was in fact compensated to wait. We aren't gonna get some sort of press release disclosing that compensation, but we DAMN sure would know if he was offered an alternative opponent and turned it down.

Essentially, you're asking a guy who just wants the undisputed belt to what? Draw a line in the sand to the UFC about getting him in the cage to defend an interim belt for the 2nd time?? C'mon man lmao.

Yes I have heard Dana say this, and I do believe it to be true since no one has tried argue otherwise. But that could be manipulated any number of ways. Is that 3 fights every fiscal year? Calendar year? Or is it based off the date from which his contract was signed? Does the standby pay count as one fight in this arrangement? If so, one could easily see how the 3 fight obligation was met by the UFC. At worst, they may have had to compensate him for one fight while the Jon situation was being sorted out.

Tom claims he was told ‘3 or 4 times” that the fight was on; well which was it? You’d think he’d remember a detail like that.

Like most things, there’s three sides to any story, and in this case, we only have Tom’s side. I have no doubt he was given assurances to some degree. But at what point does one just say “fuck it” and ask for another fight? He’s within his rights to do so. Defending an interim for a second time is not ideal, but it’s not unprecedented. I believe that Barao did it. Also, knowing that you’re dealing with someone like Jon, why would you leave your fate in his hands and not try to advocate for yourself? Fighters do it all the time.

In the end, this isn’t really a hill I need to die on. Tom was compensated for being standby and really only lost 5 months to date which isn’t the worst thing in terms of earnings. I just think he was somewhat complicit for going along for the ride and not being more vocal, sooner, in way of outspokenly seeking another opponent. We all knew Jon was stalling. That’s just my opinion though. I still like Tom and look forward to seeing him achieve greatness.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

It's hard for them to walk back calling Gane a can for the last 2 years to try and discredit Jon.

This is exactly why I want Gane to pull off the upset. And I actually like Tom; I just like chaos more. I also want to see the full blown meltdown of the Jones haters. Only way Tom comes out of this looking clean is if he absolutely bodies Gane in the first.

 

[VinceArch]

Jon was injured for a year and will still get blamed for Aspinall sitting on his ass during that time

I think that was for Stipe Miocic.