UFC London: Tom Aspinall feels like he 'has a new leg' after year-long absence

As Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes shook hands earlier their showdown astatine the O2 Arena successful London 1 twelvemonth ago, the anticipation among fans climaxed.

In throwing a kick, Aspinall, 30, tore his medial collateral ligament (MCL) and his meniscus, and sustained harm to his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

American Blaydes was declared the victor portion Aspinall's five-fight UFC winning streak, momentum and assurance were shattered.

Remarkably, it was an wounded Aspinall had carried for years, archetypal sustaining it earlier signing his maiden UFC declaration successful 2020, but 1 helium ne'er got clip to hole arsenic helium steamrollered done opponents and catapulted up the heavyweight rankings.

• Relaxed Aspinall jokes with Tybura astatine weigh-in

Although his genu wholly gave up connected him erstwhile the stakes were highest, it has allowed Aspinall to person surgery, solving a occupation which has niggled distant astatine him for his full UFC career.

A twelvemonth aboriginal helium is acceptable to marque his return, headlining against Poland's Marcin Tybura backmost astatine the O2 Arena astatine UFC London connected Saturday.

"I consciousness similar I've got a caller limb to beryllium honorable with you," Aspinall tells BBC Sport.

"My full limb - it wasn't conscionable my genu - my full limb was inactive for truthful long. My ankle and my hep were truly stiff due to the fact that I couldn't usage the limb truly for years, truthful present it's mobile, moving, explosive and feeling good.

"Being capable to bid with 2 legs is truthful overmuch easier than it was before. Not lone easier [physically], but easier mentally. I tin bash arsenic galore rounds arsenic I privation to do, arsenic galore antithetic exercises and movements I privation to bash without the fearfulness of my genu giving retired oregon swelling up, truthful it's great."

Aspinall revealed that the hardest portion of being injured was being near astir wholly immobile.

"It's conscionable hard successful wide to beryllium injured, particularly publicly. It's a large stroke to the ego to accidental the least, it's not precise nice," said Aspinall.

"The toughest portion was erstwhile I couldn't locomotion and not beryllium capable to get up connected my own, not beryllium capable to get a drink, not beryllium capable to spell outdoors.

"It was a unusual clip but it's implicit now. It's each successful the past and my genu is wholly fixed and I'm truly blessed moving forward."

'The heavyweight part is the champion it's ever been'

Jones, wide regarded arsenic the champion combatant successful MMA history, is the existent UFC heavyweight champion

The heavyweight part has changed dramatically during Aspinall's clip connected the sidelines.

In January, erstwhile champion Francis Ngannou was stripped of his rubric arsenic helium near the UFC, earlier aboriginal joining the PFL.

Jon Jones made the measurement up from light-heavyweight to decision Ciryl Gane for the loop in March, and the UFC has acceptable up a mouth-watering bout against erstwhile champion Stipe Miocic for his archetypal defence successful New York, connected 11 November.

Meanwhile, Russia's Sergei Pavlovich has dominated, earning 3 first-round knockouts wrong a year, including a triumph implicit Blaydes successful April, to emergence to 2nd successful the rankings.

"I deliberation the apical 15 are the champion [heavyweights] that's ever been successful the UFC successful my opinion," said Aspinall.

"These guys aren't prospects, they've proved themselves arsenic contenders, and it's great.

"They each excite me, are each incredibly dangerous. I look guardant to warring immoderate of them but my imagination combat would beryllium Jon Jones."

Aspinall presently sits 5th successful the heavyweight rankings and is facing a seasoned 5 places beneath him successful 37-year-old Tybura.

Last March, Aspinall defeated Alexander Volkov successful London but during combat week, determination were doubts whether the Russian would beryllium allowed to vie pursuing his country's penetration of Ukraine.

Because of the uncertainty, Tybura was brought successful arsenic a back-up, truthful Aspinall spent the days starring up to the lawsuit preparing for some fighters.

"It was ever similar a spot of unfinished concern betwixt maine and Tybura. He's turned up to combat maine and we've not got to fight, and I ever felt a spot unsettled with that," said Aspinall.

"I deliberation he's a unsafe opponent. The feline is bully everywhere, tin bash everything well, he's precise durable, has an unorthodox style, truthful I person to marque definite I'm good prepared."

'If I tin beryllium similar my grandad that's beauteous good'

Aspinall's bout with Tybura volition beryllium his 16th successful astir 9 years arsenic a professional, but it volition beryllium his archetypal without his gramps Peter, who passed distant successful May.

In a station connected Instagram, Aspinall described his gramps arsenic a "legend" and "the caput of his family".

"He was an important origin successful my beingness and that each gears towards your career," said Aspinall.

"He's precise arrogant of me. I'm a spot bittersweet to cognize the past clip helium saw maine combat was erstwhile I got injured. I conscionable anticipation that wherever helium is present helium tin spot the adjacent one.

"This volition beryllium my archetypal 1 without him truthful it's going to beryllium an affectional day."

Aspinall continued: "He was a truly pleasant, laid back, bully to beryllium astir person. A batch of radical accidental that I person a akin personality.

"If I tin beryllium akin to that, ever pleasant, if I tin beryllium similar that, that's beauteous good."