'Old me would've said no' - Tom Aspinall reflects on why he accepted short-notice fight against Sergei Pavlovich despite not being in best shape

Tom Aspinall is set to face Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 295 this weekend. Both fighters took the bout on short notice after heavyweight champion Jon Jones tore the tendon that connects the pectoral muscle to the bone, leading him to withdraw from his title bout against Stipe Miocic. The No.4-ranked heavyweight recently opened up on his decision to accept the short-notice bout.

Speaking with Adam Catterall of TNT Sports, Aspinall was asked if the old him would have reacted differently, responding:

"I would've never done this before. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. It's just a testament to my training, I think. I've got multiple guys now where I train who are preparing for fights themselves so obviously I've been in the gym helping out... Which I wouldn't usually be doing and yeah my body's really really in a good spot. Ideally - I'm not going to beat around the bush and f**k with everybody - I would have liked longer to train. Of course. It's a world title fight. I would have loved ten weeks, but we don't live in an ideal world."

When asked if the old him would have declined the fight, the No.4-ranked heavyweight responded:

"The old Tom Aspinall would have definitely said no. 100 percent. Obviously, my body wasn't in a good spot and also my training is so good now because I'm training with heavyweights all the time, like everyday. I know where I'm at, whereas before I was only training with heavyweights every so often so it was hard to kind of get a gauge of how fit I am, how strong I am... My body and mind are in such a good spot right now it'd just be silly to say no."

Check out Tom Aspinall's comments on stepping in on short notice below (2:23):

Aspinall is 6-1 since making his UFC debut in 2020. Furthermore, his only loss came against Curtis Blaydes at UFC Fight Night 208, as he tore his MCL and meniscus and damaged his ACL. Pavlovich is also 6-1 since making his promotional debut in 2018 and 18-1 in his mixed martial arts career. His only loss came against Alistair Overeem in his UFC debut.

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Michael Bisping shares lofty prediction for Tom Aspinall's career

Michael Bisping has been among Tom Aspinall's biggest supports as he has risen to an interim heavyweight title opportunity. The UFC Hall of Famer recently shared how he envisions the No.4-ranked heavyweight's career playing out. Speaking to TNT Sports, the former middleweight champion stated:

"I do believe he [Tom Aspinall] beats him [Sergei Pavlovich]. I believe he makes it look relatively easy...I think he beats him. I think he beats Jon Jones if that comes up, and I think he dominates the heavyweight division for quite some time, and he will retire as the greatest heavyweight champion that the UFC has ever seen."

Check out Michael Bisping's comments on Tom Aspinall below:

Bisping previously claimed that Jon Jones does not hold a candle to Aspinall after his most recent appearance, where he picked up a TKO victory over Marcin Tybura. The No.4-ranked heavyweight will enter as a slight favorite against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295.