"We see it with guys like DDP" - Tom Aspinall gets brutally honest about Paddy Pimblett's striking

Paddy Pimblett’s striking isn’t technically clean, but it works, according to UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Aspinall compared Pimblett’s awkward yet effective style to UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis.

Fighters like Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker have laughed at du Plessis’ technique, only to admit later that it throws people off. Aspinall spots a similar dynamic in Pimblett's striking skills.

While previewing Pimbeltt's upcoming clash against Michael Chandler in an interview with Adam Catterall, Aspinall said:

"We see it with Paddy, with the kicks. Paddy is very comfortable on his back. Excellent submissions, triangles, arm bars, arm lock platters, all that stuff... And that's quite rare in MMA. So, Paddy just throws the kicks up with absolutely no regard if his leg gets caught or not, or if he gets tripped off balance or not, because he's very happy on his back. Like you say, I think the mental side is Paddy's biggest advantage because he knows who he is. Yeah, he knows where he's all about. He knows that he's not going to crumble under pressure."

He added:

"And his striking isn't the prettiest and most traditional of striking, but it's effective. Yeah, very effective. And we see it with guys like DDP. That awkwardness causes people a lot of problems, man. And I think that Paddy's striking is underrated. I think that Paddy can knock him out, to be honest. I think he can."

Check out Tom Aspinall's comments below (16:45):

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Tom Aspinall's father calls for Jon Jones to vacate the UFC heavyweight title

Tom Aspinall and his team are growing increasingly frustrated as they wait for Jon Jones to return for a potential UFC heavyweight title unification fight. UFC fans and Aspinall's team have been lobbying for a clash against Jones after the American defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.

Despite Dana White’s claims that negotiations are progressing, the fight remains unbooked. Aspinall has admitted to being bored by the endless talks. Meanwhile, his father, Andy Aspinall, has also voiced his displeasure, urging Jones to vacate the title if he’s not willing to fight.

Speaking in a recent interview with Jamal Niaz, Aspinall's father said:

"You are contracted to do three fights a year and I think he’s worked himself into a position where [Aspinall] should fight for a belt. For me, if a guy doesn’t want to fight for the belt, he should vacate it. Tom isn’t bothered about Jones… Jon Jones is just another body in the gym, another b*m in the shower."

Check out Andy Aspinall's comments below (3:30):