Tom Aspinall is targeting a monstrous showdown against UFC GOAT Jon Jones after Sergei Pavlovich.
Aspinall returns to the famed Octagon after accepting a short-notice assignment at UFC 295 following the dramatic withdrawal Jon Jones, who was scheduled to face Stipe Miocic.
Having bounced back from his only UFC defeat to Curtis Blaydes following his demolition of Marcin Tybura, the 30-year-old takes on Pavlovich at the iconic Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Despite the dangerous Russian on his crosshairs, Aspinall already has his eyes on a massive fight against UFC heavyweight champion Jones next year. Check out his pre-fight press conference below:
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Asked about the interim status of his New York bout, he replied: "I’m fine with the interim. I’m not too bothered. It’ll work itself out, I’m sure.
"Jon Jones is obviously one of the best to ever do. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and hopefully we’ll get to share the cage one day.”
But make no mistake, Aspinall isn't taking Pavlovich lightly as he's described his UFC 295 task as 'fighting the scariest guy in MMA, in the worst circumstances possible without a training camp'.
He added: "I think it’s heavyweight MMA. You’ve got to see what happens. He’s a very, very dangerous guy. As am I. I’m just focused on going out there and enjoying it. The is my absolute dream come true: Madison Square Garden, Pavlovich."
Aspinall will look to become the third British champion in UFC history as he hopes to follow in the footsteps of Michael Bisping and current UFC welterweight king Leon Edwards.
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Topics: UFC
Nasir Jabbar