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#2 Tom Aspinall might be the UFC heavyweight division’s best prospect
The UFC’s heavyweight division is an interesting place at the minute, as the promotion hopes to put together a title unification bout between champion Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane in the near future.
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However, the best prospect in the division may well be in action this Saturday, as the UK’s Tom Aspinall takes on Sergey Spivak.
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Still just 28 years old, Aspinall is unbeaten in the UFC at 3-0, and none of his opponents have gotten out of the second round. But what makes this British heavyweight such an intriguing prospect isn’t his finishing rate – it’s his smooth overall skills.
When he debuted in the UFC, many observers talked him up as the UK’s equivalent to Frank Mir – a large and brutal submission expert. However, since arriving he’s done more damage with his strikes.
And unlike many UFC heavyweights, Aspinall isn’t just a sloppy power puncher, instead preferring to use a more technical stand-up game to do damage to his foes. So essentially, his skills in all areas already set him apart from the majority of the division.
Right now, Aspinall is ranked at #13 in the division – one spot ahead of Spivak. However, it’s likely that if he wins this clash, he’ll climb the ladder anyway, as fighters like Walt Harris and Augusto Sakai are hardly on great runs right now.
Will this be a ‘fight of the night’ contender? It’s not likely, as Aspinall is fully expected to smash Spivak. However, based on his previous showings, it should be entertaining to watch nonetheless.
#1 The main event could decide the next UFC middleweight title challenger
Naturally, the best fight on this weekend’s UFC Fight Night card is the main event, which pits middleweight contenders Derek Brunson and Darren Till against each other.
Not only is this an intriguing fight because both men are highly ranked in the division – Brunson at #5, Till at #7 – but it could well end up deciding the next challenger for the UFC middleweight title.
Current champion Israel Adesanya is expected to defend against top contender Robert Whittaker next. But after that – regardless of who wins – the next challenger is up in the air.
Jared Cannonier would be the most obvious top contender after his recent win over Kelvin Gastelum, but while Brunson isn’t likely to leapfrog him, the same can’t be said for Till.
‘The Gorilla’ is a far more marketable fighter than Cannonier, and more to the point, Adesanya – who seems likely to overcome Whittaker – has already marked him out as a potentially interesting foe.
So if the native of Liverpool can overcome Brunson this weekend, there’s every chance that his next fight might be for the UFC middleweight title.
A chance to see a potential top contender in action is simply not something that can be missed, and so Till in action means this show should be a must-see for any UFC fan.
