Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall has revealed which knockout stands out as the best of his mixed martial arts career so far.
Aspinall is currently in a holding pattern, awaiting a potential clash to unify the division title against reigning champion Jon Jones.
UFC CEO Dana White has firmly stated that the anticipated unification bout is guaranteed to happen sometime in 2025.
While he waits for clarity on his next octagon appearance, Aspinall recently looked back on what he considers the most significant victory of his UFC tenure.
Aspinall Reflects on Stunning Pavlovich Knockout
One particularly memorable moment for Aspinall occurred in November 2023 at UFC 295. He accepted a fight against the highly dangerous Sergei Pavlovich on extremely short notice.
The Russian powerhouse had built fearsome momentum, having secured six consecutive first-round knockout wins, establishing himself as a top contender in the heavyweight ranks.
Despite stepping in without a full camp, Aspinall required just 69 seconds to spectacularly knock out Pavlovich and capture the interim championship belt.
Asked in a recent interview with FightRoom to name his favorite KO, Aspinall responded, “Probably Pavlovich.”
He elaborated on why that win holds special significance: “I took the fight on short notice, I wasn’t in shape, flew across the world. Like, everything was against me in that fight, and I still managed to do it.”
Acknowledging the daunting challenge Pavlovich presented at the time, Aspinall added, “At that time, Pavlovich was on a six-fight, first-round knockout streak. He was just smashing everybody. So, I think Pavlovich, for sure.”
Aspinall Grows Impatient Waiting for Jon Jones
Since defending his interim title with a rapid 60-second knockout of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 last July, Aspinall has been eager for the opportunity to face Jon Jones and prove he is the undisputed best heavyweight in MMA.
Recently, Aspinall expressed his growing frustration with the delay in securing the unification bout, suggesting that Jones might be actively avoiding the matchup.
“Oh, I’m well bored of it. I’ve had enough,” Aspinall stated candidly, indicating his patience has worn thin.
He added, “I think we either need to fight or I need to move on and do something else and like I said, I’m going to find out. Literally, today is the day that I’ve been waiting 3-4 months for and I’m going to find out today.”
Percy Harlow