Tom Aspinall warned against 'using his chin as bait' by former champion despite earning 60-second KO at UFC 304

07/30/2024 12:18 PM

While Tom Aspinall looked nothing short of sensational at UFC 304, a former world champion has spotted a weakness that could lead to his undoing in future fights.

The Brit defended his interim heavyweight crown in front of 23,500 raucous fans at the Co-op Live in Manchester, UK.

Robert Whittaker warns Tom Aspinall that he can’t keep using his chin as ‘bait’

In a display that embodied phenomenal power and lightning speed, Tom Aspinall produced a remarkable performance to render Curtis Blaydes unconscious and defend his interim title.

With the only blemish on his UFC record now well and truly wiped away, the Englishman is determined to secure a fight with Jon Jones.

However, while Aspinall was undeniably fantastic on Saturday evening, like all fighters, there are still holes he needs to cover up.

In the early exchanges, his opponent caught him on a couple of occasions, which has prompted Robert Whittaker to explain that using your chin as ‘bait’ is a ‘gamble’ that doesn’t always pay off.

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In an episode of the MMArcade podcast, the former middleweight champion, explained: “How do I feel about the way Tom started? By the way, I love the way Tom fights. His speed kills. He is proof in the pudding of that in the way he beat Sergei Pavlovich and everyone before that.

“He uses his speed and his accuracy. He’s itching for the knockout a little too much in the first minute of that fight. Curtis Blaydes was landing shots on him and that, I didn’t like.

“For a guy, that is so fast, and so mobile in a division, where the guys are bigger and generally slower, he started, itching at the bit. He wanted that knockout out of the gate. He did get it, but I feel like he took too many shots before that happened.”

He continued: “Using his chin as bait. In the heavyweight division, that is the most dangerous gamble. I’m not going to break down his technique or the holes and the reasons why he got hit, but I could see mentality-wise he was itching at the bit to knock Curtis out.

“He was hammering for it. That led to Curtis landing shots he didn’t need to take. In saying that, he did get the knockout shortly after.”

Regardless, Aspinall’s exciting style has caught the imagination of MMA enthusiasts around the globe, with many desperate to see ‘The Honey Badger’ battle it out with Jones, including an ex-heavyweight contender.

Brendan Schaub gives Tom Aspinall advice on how to get the Jon Jones fight

While the world wants to see the Brit go toe-to-toe with ‘Bones’, it appears the undisputed heavyweight champion is heading in the direction of a match-up with Stipe Miocic.

This has enraged Brendan Schaub, who has branded the potential bout a ‘s**t show’.

The fighter-turned-podcaster would much rather watch Aspinall get his shot at the throne, and thus, has given the 31-year-old some pointers on how to get the fight over the line.

In an explosive rant, he claimed the power puncher needs to alter his attitude in order to goad Jones into signing the contract.

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