UFC contender Tom Aspinall has been spotted working the mats in Seaham, as he trains tirelessly for his up and coming headline bout against Curtis Blaydes in London later this month.
The second London show for the Vegas-based promotion this year, the fight night coming July 23 follows on from a highly successful event at the O2 back in March - which Aspinall also headlined.
In that bout, the highly-touted 251-pounder submitted his adversary Alexander Volkov with a perfectly executed straight armbar in the very first round.
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With five finishes in five fights for the UFC, the Atherton-born 29-year-old has been prepping hard for his fight at the back end of this month - depending on local talent from the North East to help out with sparring. Usually training at Team Kaobon in Liverpool with Scouser Darren Till, Aspinall has been spotted switching coasts and training at Seaham's Team Fish Tank (TFT ).
North East heavyweights Phil De Fries and Michael Parkin have made Aspinall feel at home in the North East, with gruelling sessions of sparring and grappling. Bellator's Andrew Fisher, who owns and runs TFT has also made Aspinall feel very welcome during his time training in Seaham.
De Fries is currently the heavyweight champion in Polish organisation Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW), and has also fought under the UFC and Bellator banners in the past. Parkin is also making waves across Sunderland too, with his perfect 5-0 record.
He will also fly out to Las Vegas, Nevada next month with his team to fight on Dana White's Contender Series, with hopes of winning a coveted UFC contract while stateside. He is set to face Eduardo Neves (also 5-0) on August 23, 2022.
Also on the card at UFC London later this month is a star-studded list of English talent, hoping to craft their legacies with the UFC. Highly-rated Paddy Pimblett from Liverpool will face Jordan Leavitt in an exciting lightweight bout, while his partner in crime Molly McCann will scrap with Hannah Goldy, after her highlight reel-worthy spinning elbow KO over Luana Carolina.
Flying Scotsman Paul Craig (who also trains in the North East from time to time) is also lined up to face Volkan Oezdemir in the card's opener, while Manchester's Muhammad Mokaev hopes to best Charles Johnson in the prelims.
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