Well, folks, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is shaking things up in a big way. They’ve decided to let an interim champ defend their title. Talk about a curveball!
Coming up at UFC 304 on July 27, we’ve got Tom Aspinall facing off against Curtis Blaydes. This isn’t their first rodeo; they clashed at UFC Fight Night 208 last year. Poor Aspinall’s knee gave out in just 15 seconds, handing him a loss. Despite Jon Jones holding the division’s crown, the UFC’s got Aspinall stepping up to the plate again. They’re keeping Jones on the bench, eyeing a future clash with Stipe Miocic.
This rematch was dropped on us last Thursday by the UFC. They’re lining up what’s sure to be a blockbuster card for the Co-op Live pay-per-view in Manchester, England. And yeah, Aspinall’s a local lad from Greater Manchester. He exploded onto the UFC heavyweight scene, tearing through five opponents in less than two years. From Jake Collier to Alan Baudot, Andrei Arlovski, Sergey Spivak, and even pulling off a rare straight armbar on Alexander Volkov, Aspinall’s been on fire.
But life’s full of ups and downs, right? After the hiccup with Blaydes, Aspinall came back swinging a year later. He demolished Marcin Tybura and then Sergei Pavlovich in just 69 seconds last November, snagging the interim heavyweight title. This is the first time we’ve seen an interim champ defend their belt since Renan Barao faced Eddie Wineland at UFC 165 in 2013.
Now, Curtis Blaydes. He’s been hovering around the top of the heavyweight division for ages but hasn’t had his shot at the title until now. Despite some tough losses to Francis Ngannou, Derrick Lewis, and a rough outing with Pavlovich, Blaydes has racked up the most takedowns in the division’s history. He’s sitting pretty with 62, just a stone’s throw away from doubling Cain Velasquez’s record.
So, there you have it. A match-up that’s as unpredictable as the British weather. Will Aspinall keep his momentum, or will Blaydes wrestle his way to the top? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure – it’s going to be one heck of a fight.