UFC 295 proved to be an incredibly exciting event with unexpected developments, including Jon Jones’ injury and Dana White’s announcement of a heavyweight bout between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich. Stipe Miocic was removed from the card, and Tom Aspinall secured victory with a first-round KO, claiming the interim heavyweight title. However, there were moments where Tom considered withdrawing from the fight, despite the title being at stake.
Tom Aspinall Reveals He Was About To Withdraw From UFC 295 Heavyweight Title Fight
At UFC 295 in New York on November 11, 2023, Tom Aspinall emerged victorious in the co-main event at Madison Square Garden, securing the interim heavyweight title with a first-round KO. Despite grappling with random back pain, Aspinall almost considered withdrawing before ultimately triumphing in the fight.
During an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Aspinall disclosed the details of his back issue and discussed how close he came to withdrawing from his bout against Sergei Pavlovich.
“I just wanted to get one good spar under my belt before we basically leave and travel to the U.S.,” Aspinall said to MMA Hour. “This was in the fourth round of sparring. Never experienced anything like it before. I just had a crazy back spasm, and my back just seized up. Nothing really even happened, and my back just stiffened up really badly. I was basically unable to work out from that point onward.”
“It did get a little better, and luckily, my team was amazing and just shifted everything around so I could get some really good treatment,” he said. “For a couple of days there, I just like, s***, what am I going to do?”
Experiencing pain for several days, Aspinall contemplated withdrawing from the fight of his dreams due to back issues, rendering him unable to function. Opting for treatment, his perspective shifted regarding his ability to compete.
Following surgery, his condition improved significantly. Aspinall accepted the fight with just over two weeks’ notice, stepping in after heavyweight champ Jon Jones suffered an injury and had to withdraw from the bout against Stipe Miocic.
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Despite the injury and a swift recovery, Aspinall’s resilience shines through, making him a true warrior. His historic victory over Pavlovich in just 69 seconds stands out as a remarkable moment.
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