With a date set for his return to the octagon and his eventual debut as the new undisputed heavyweight champion (up to 120,2 kg), Tom Aspinall will return to action against Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi more than a year after his knockout victory against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. However, despite the long period of inactivity being felt by fans and the athlete himself, the Englishman assures that he feels no apprehension whatsoever regarding his performance.
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In a video posted on his YouTube channel, the king of the Ultimate's most prestigious division addressed the downtime naturally and rejected the possibility of experiencing problems because of it.
"I've had long periods without fighting before. I went three and a half years without competing in MMA, so it's not a problem. Fight rhythm is a mental thing, anyway. I'm happy to be back and moving. You can expect a better version of me. I've had a year to train, test my skills, and evolve. I'll show everyone what I'm talking about on October 25th," he stated.
⚡️ Tom Aspinall speaks about not fighting for over a year:
“This is no problem for me… I had three and a half years off from MMA fighting before… You can only expect an improved version of me.”
@AspinallMMA pic.twitter.com/CbDnlGvqB8
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) July 23, 2025
Aspinall's statement aligns with those of other great fighters, such as Dominick Cruz . While many athletes claim to feel the effects of inactivity, others have stated that it's psychological. The Englishman, for example, experienced a similar situation while recovering from a knee injury after his first fight against Blaydes.
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