It’s probably safe to say that no UFC fighter wants a main event to end with a TKO a few seconds into the match due to an injury, but that’s how Curtis Blaydes gained his victory over Tom Aspinall at the UFC Fight Night 208 at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday. As disappointed as Blaydes is, he has accepted the outcome, is moving forward, and has shut down any talk of a rematch.
Blaydes (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) was declared the winner a mere 15 seconds into the heavyweight headliner when Aspinall (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) injured his knee in the opening exchange. Speaking to reporters after the event, Blaydes said that he didn’t know what happened. He explained that he went to counter after Aspinall landed the kick, and that’s when Aspinall dropped to the canvas.
Blaydes elaborated that he felt frustrated after the match was waved off. He said that no one wanted to win like that. While he received the win, held his ranking, and received the money, but the victory came without a highlight, which left him wondering if the fight actually happened. Unlike UFC fights, winning in online Blackjack real money games is always a highlight for players.
Aiming For A First UFC Title Shot
The fight was a marquee matchup for the division’s upper tier. Considering both Blaydes and Aspinall are aiming for their first UFC title shot, the result of the event would impact on their goals.
However, Blaydes said he didn’t think that his direction will change drastically as a result. Before the fight, he said that he wants to face the winner of the UFC Paris main event between Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa on September 3. He still thinks the matchmaking should unfold this way.
Speaking about the possibility of a rematch against Aspinall, Blaydes he has no intention of waiting for that to happen. At the time of writing, Aspinall’s timeline to return is unknown, as it depends on how severe his injury is. Blaydes explained that he doesn’t want to risk his ranking with a rematch against Aspinall. He said he won the fight that he headed into thinking that the winner would later fight the winner of Tuivasa vs. Gane. Waiting for Aspinall to recover and return for a rematch could lead to him missing out on the opportunity to face either of those fighters.
Aspinall In Good Spirits
Despite his untimely defeat, Aspinall is in good spirits. The British fighter did not reveal the full extent of his knee injury, saying that it was a freak accident. As proof of taking the outcome in his stride, Aspinall shared a picture of himself sharing a beer with Blaydes in the hotel after the event on Instagram.
He captioned the picture saying that Blaydes and his team came to say hello after the match. “Freak accidents happen unfortunately, tonight wasn’t my night,” he wrote. This was Aspinall’s first loss since he joined the promotion six fights ago.
The abrupt end to the main event drew a flurry of responses on social media. Megan Anderson tweeted, “Got to feel for both Aspinall and Blaydes right now. This was a huge fight for both of them.” Dan Tom tweeted that he really hoped Aspinall was ok, “as he appears to be in a ton of pain. This sport is brutal, man.”