UFC Reporter Booed After Asking Tom Aspinall Question at News Conference
The UFC 321 press conference in Paris was disrupted with huge boos following questions to the heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
Aspinall will finally make a return to the Octagon next month after being finally being crowned heavyweight champion following the retirement of Jon Jones.
The Salford-born fighter had held the interim belt for 16 months, with two victories over Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes during that period, and will now face Ciryl Gane on October 26th at UFC 321
Despite Aspinall's first outing as champion being in over a month, the media duties have already started with a press conference being held in Paris on Friday with fans in attendance.
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Fan incorporation into press conferences is one of the more unique and entertaining aspects of the sport, however, it means things rarely go to script.
During the press conference, anytime Aspinall spoke it was met heavily with boos from the French crowd.
The atmosphere became so hostile even French journalists were booed if they chose to directly ask the 32-year-old a question.
Aspinall was asked if he would try to exploit Gane's lack of ground game rather than keep the fight standing.
"If I hit anybody I think I can knock them out, and I think that Ciryl is no exception," Aspinall said over loud boos.
"But obviously there are some weaknesses in his ground game that we've seen, but I'm sure he's improved, this is an MMA fight it can go anywhere so I'm sure we will both be ready for anything."
Tom Aspinall shuts down Jon Jones talk
Throughout the build-up, the Brit has continued to be questioned about Jon Jones and recently shut down any focus on the 38-year-old during an interview with Ariel Helwani last month.
"I've already got a fight, so I'm focusing on that. That's the way I micromanage things so well mentally," he stressed.
"For the next 10 weeks of my life, all I'm thinking about is Ciryl Gane and how to beat him.
"Even with his coach, what he said, I said, or didn't say, it doesn't matter. Because I'm fighting Ciryl and that's all that matters, really.
"No matter what anybody's said or done in the past is pretty irrelevant at this point, because we're going to fight each other, and that's all that really matters," he added.
Aspinall also appeared to take sly dig at Jones by explaining how his bout with Gane came about.
"I said, 'Who do you want me to fight?' They said Ciryl Gane, and I said, 'Sweet. I'm in,'" Aspinall said.
"I'm ready to fight absolutely anybody.
He added: "I'm not in the realm of dodging fights at all. I'm here to fight everybody and anybody, and trying my best. That's it. To do work, fight people, while I'm involved in the sport.
"That's what I want to do. I want to fight everybody and anybody that I possibly can."
Topics: UFC, Tom Aspinall, MMA, Jon Jones
Tom Jenkins