Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall expressed his profound affection for boxing while fervently critiquing the sport’s current trajectory.
During a visit to talkSPORT’s headquarters to discuss his recent title win and delve into potential matchups, Aspinall openly criticized the evolving landscape of boxing.
Aspinall passionately conveyed his admiration for boxing. He stated: “I am a massive boxing fan. I absolutely love the sport of boxing, [but] I absolutely can’t stand the boxing model.”
“Hate it. I hate the way boxing is going at the moment because I love the sport of boxing. I love the science. I love the defensive techniques, which is amazing. I absolutely love watching actual classic, traditional boxers who are defensively brilliant – it’s my favourite thing.”
Aspinall discussed why he has come to “hate” a sport he really enjoys, and name checked two of the top boxing promoters in Britain.
Aspinall didn’t mince words when pointing out the predictable nature of boxing events, highlighting the lack of suspense in determining winners even before the bouts start.
He added: “The way the sport is going at the moment is absolutely terrible. You can look at an Eddie Hearn show, a Frank Warren show or any other promoter’s show and know.”
“Just say there are ten fights on, you can know at least eight of the winners before the bell rings on any of the fights – I can’t stand it.”
The UFC superstar expressed his annoyance at mismatched cards. He also voiced his frustration over elite boxers who frequently discuss potential matchups but seldom materialize these anticipated bouts. Aspinall expressed his disappointment at the missed opportunities within the sport.
He went on to say: “We are talking about the best guys in the world and none of them are fighting each other. What is this?”
The 30-year-old is currently determined to defeat Jones and get past all other contenders vying for the heavyweight title in order to unify the UFC heavyweight division.
After that, Aspinall intends to go back to boxing. He has a 1-0 professional boxing record and defeated journeyman Tamas Bajzath of Hungary six years ago in Manchester.