Current heavyweight champion (up to 120,2kg) and heading towards his first title defense in the category, Tom Aspinall is showing he's willing to leave everything behind, even amidst a great moment in his career. With his friend Ante Delija 's arrival in mind , the Englishman has already stated that he will not face the Croatian if the UFC schedules a fight.
When explaining the reason, Aspinall stated that the dream of becoming champion has already been fulfilled and guaranteed that action will not be immediate, due to the fact that Delija is still in the top 10, needing other victories until reaching the heavyweight throne.
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“My friend and training partner ( Ante Delija ) just arrived in the UFC and defeated a Top 10 fighter, so he’s potentially two or three wins away from a title shot. So, the question is: if I had never won a title, if I had never achieved gold before, we would have to fight. Because that was my dream. But now that I have achieved it, I would give up the title and he could have his chance. I wouldn’t fight him,” Aspinall stated in an interview with ShxtsnGigs.
Ante Delija (right) defeated Marcin Tybura at UFC Paris . Photo: Twitter / UFC News
Finally, Tom highlighted the importance of friendship and reinforced that there is no chance of a duel occurring.
"No way. He's one of my true friends, and there are things that are more important to me than money and titles. I won the title, I achieved that, and now I have a few more goals before he gets there. There's still a lot to do, but I can do it in the time it takes him to get there," he concluded.
Scheduled to fight on October 25th, Tom Aspinall will defend his title at UFC 321 against Ciryl Gane . Currently, the Englishman is considered the heavy favorite by bookmakers. On the other hand, Delija is preparing to face Waldo Cortes-Acosta , currently ranked sixth. The fight takes place on November 1st.
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