Exclusive: Tom Aspinall confident of Curtis Blaydes revenge at UFC 304 in Manchester - 'Bring the pressure'

The only defeat of Tom Aspinall's UFC career came at the hands of Curtis Blaydes in 2022 and the British fighter is determined to put that right at UFC 304 in Manchester when he puts his temporary belt on the line in their interim heavyweight title showdown. You can watch the action from 03:00 UK time on Sunday, July 28 on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+.

'I do my best work under pressure' - Aspinall on UFC 304 and expectations

Video credit: TNT Sports

Tom Aspinall is looking for revenge when he puts his temporary belt on the line at UFC 304 against Curtis Blaydes.

The interim heavyweight title fight is the co-main event in Manchester, alongside Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad.

Aspinall and Blaydes met at UFC London in 2022 when the American came out on top after Aspinall suffered a knee injury - which was to keep him out of action for a year - just 15 seconds into the fight.

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The defeat remains the British fighter’s only loss during his time in the UFC.

Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of stepping into the Octagon, Aspinall said he is in a far stronger position than the last time the pair met.

“My training and my level, my skill level now, no, I’m not talking about mentally, my actual, me as an MMA fighter compared to me last time I fought Blaydes are way different, I’m so much better now.

Aspinall on being a different fighter and wanting to remove a blemish from his record

Video credit: TNT Sports

“I’m not a massive smack talker. I mean I do dabble in it now and again but it’s not really in my nature. I’ve got an ego and I think I’m the best in the world and I’ve got one blemish on my record and that’s Curtis Blaydes in the UFC.

“I’ve got losses before I got in the UFC but I was a kid then, that was a young kid,” he said.

Aspinall has fought and won twice since, beating Marcin Tybura and Sergei Pavlovich, but the Blaydes defeat continues to frustrate him.

“This one, I’m like, I want to get this one back. I know heavyweight MMA anything can happen at any time but I know that I’m better than Curtis and I don’t like the fact that he’s beat me.

“What I love doing, in all honesty, is throwing a pair of gloves on, taking my shirt off and going in there and finding out who the better guy is,” he said.

Blaydes: 'Me and Aspinall have got some unfinished business'

Video credit: TNT Sports

In front of a home crowd, Aspinall is the favourite, and he is relishing the pressure being put on him to deliver a big performance.

“I do my best work under pressure. Bring the pressure! That’s when I do my best. I mean, if we want to talk about pressure, let’s talk about my last fight [against Pavlovich].

“Coming back from a stag do, getting a phone call saying I’m going to fight without a visa - I didn’t have a US visa. Getting injured in my first sparring session and flying across the world on less than two weeks notice and knocking out the scariest guy at the time in the UFC, that’s pressure.

“I can perform under pressure, I know I can. I’ve done it multiple times. The more pressure’s on, the better I perform.”

UFC 304: What TV channel is the main card on?

Live coverage from the Co-op Live arena in Manchester begins at 03:00 UK time on Sunday, July 28 on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+.

What time does UFC 304 start in the UK?

The prelims start at 01:00 on Sunday, July 28, with the main card following at 03:00. The early prelims, which can be watched on UFC Fight Pass, start at 23:15 UK time on Saturday night.

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