Before stepping in the Octagon with Sergei Pavlovich, Tom Aspinall was scared. The Wigan heavyweight admitted as much in the days leading up to their title fight at UFC 295. Aspinall was still scared when the cage door closed in Madison Square Garden. In fact, he was scared even after knocking out the Russian in Round 1, in one of the most captivating moments in recent MMA history.
“I think, generally speaking, if you ask me an honest question, you’ll get an honest answer,” Aspinall tells The Independent and other publications over Zoom, four days after his interim-title win. “I try not to lie about anything, just in general...” And then comes the revelation: “I don’t think the fear really stops, you know?
