Tom Aspinall peels the curtain back on the fear of fighting: “Me and GSP have spoken about it a lot"

Tom Aspinall recently lifted the lid on what the life of an elite combat sports athlete is like, with the Brit sharing a candid insight into the rollercoaster of emotions that come with fighting. The UFC interim heavyweight champion quashed any notion that he was a stereotypical "tough guy" who felt no fear.

Instead, Aspinall opted to use his feelings of fear to heighten his sense and make him a better fighter. The 31-year old also noted that former UFC two-division champion, and one of the best fighters of all-time, Georges St-Pierre, has also spoken at length about him being "scared" ahead of a fight.

Aspinall's comments came during his recent appearance on the IMPAULSIVE podcast, where he said:

"I will openly speak about how scared I am when I fight. ... I'm sure there are others, actually. But me and GSP have spoken about it a lot... There are so many UFC fighters who are like, 'I ain't f**king scared. I'll fight anybody.' I'll definitely fight anybody as well, but it's still scary. I'm open with it. I feel like when you are open with that, and you embrace it, it gives you a whole superpower it itself."

He continued:

"I'm trying to knock everybody out. But I'm scared of every single person, but that fear makes me super sharp."

Catch Tom Aspinall's comments below (43:45):

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Tom Aspinall is feeling confident about his fighting future following meeting with UFC brass

Tom Aspinall has been pursuing a title unification bout with heavyweight champion Jon Jones since the Brit won the interim title at UFC 295 in 2023.

But 'Bones' is yet to agree a deal to fight Aspinall, with Jones instead fighting Stipe Miocic in a "legacy fight" at UFC 309. After successfully defending his belt against Miocic, there have been cries from all corners of the MMA world for the American to face the interim champion in a title unification bout.

Having accused Jones of "ducking" him, Aspinall shared a fresh update during a recent interview with Ariel Helwani following a meeting that the Brit had with UFC executive Hunter Campbell.

He said:

"We had a fantastic meeting. Everything went amazing. I understand my position now, I understand what the company is doing now. And, you've got to stay tuned, my friend, because, there is some big news coming."

Catch Tom Aspinall's comments below (0:55):