Has Tom Aspinall made a huge blunder in accepting the UFC 304 fight against Curtis Blaydes? According to UFC veteran, Chael Sonnen, the Englishman who currently holds the UFC interim heavyweight title might have made a misstep in facing off against ‘Razor’ again! Aspinall got a shot at the interim title due to Jon Jones suffering from a torn pectoral tendon ahead of his clash against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295.

While the undisputed champion, ‘Bones’, has indicated that he will be returning to action later this year, Aspinall will be defending his interim title against Blaydes due to Jones wanting to face Miocic for his comeback fight. As such, Sonnen has indicated that Aspinall and the UFC might come to regret this decision come fight night!

Tom Aspinall doesn’t have any advantages over Curtis Blaydes claims Chael Sonnen 

Why shouldn’t Tom Aspinall fight Curtis Blaydes? Well, during his appearance on Tim Welch’s ‘Red Hawk Recap’ podcast, Chael Sonnen shared his thoughts on the UFC 304 matchup between Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes. Sonnen, in his usual fashion, stated, “Possibly a big mistake for everybody involved. Possibly a mistake for booking this match. Possibly a mistake by the UFC for featuring this match.”

For fans unaware of their history, the UFC veteran then pointed out that Blaydes and Aspinall have already faced each other once. The Englishman took on Blaydes at UFC Fight 208 in 2022 which was held at the O2 Arena in London. 15 seconds into the first round, Aspinall threw a kick but crumpled to the canvas when he planted his leg back on the ground. The reason behind his abrupt fall? A knee injury which handed Blaydes the win via TKO (knee injury).

This was the key Sonnen used this to explain his stance as he further went on to state, “Curtis Blaydes has already beaten him once, you say whatever you want about the fight, he already walked into the same territory which is supposed to be an advantage. He’s gone into this crowd, he’s already slept in this hotel, he’s already experienced this time change which are all supposed to be advantages to Tom.

This emphasis on Blaydes having experience dealing with performing in his opponent’s backyard might come into play on fight night. However, Tom Aspinall is leaving no stone unturned to make sure he walks away with his interim title from UFC 304 as he recently shared the details behind a unique training regimen he has implemented in his preparation to dull ‘Razor’s edge inside the Octagon!

Aspinall bringing in bare-knuckle brawling tactics to prepare for UFC 304

While Tom Aspinall has indicated that the UFC 304 start time during the early morning isn’t too much of a problem for him, he’s been utilizing a unique routine when he wakes up at 4 AM to acclimatize his body for the challenge of taking on Curtis Blaydes. In a recent conversation on ‘The MMA Hour’, Aspinall revealed, “When it gets to about 4 a.m., I get my alarm on, I go outside, do a bit shadowboxing in the hay bales — and then I do the old traveler method of dipping your knuckles in petrol for about 20 minutes as the sun’s coming up, and that hardens your knuckles.”

The hay bales and the petrol are all tips and tricks the Englishman picked up from the 2011 documentary, ‘Knuckle’. The film is a deep dive into the world of Irish Traveler bare-knuckle boxing and features the Joyce family and Joe Joyce, a legend in the sport of bare-knuckle brawling. According to Aspinall, “These are some of the hardest knuckles in the UFC right here right now”, indicating his belief that ‘Razor’ may need to deal with the prospect of getting hit by hands that Aspinall has confessed, “They’re like rocks.”

Despite Sonnen’s warnings about the potential dangers of facing Blaydes again, Aspinall’s commitment to his training and confidence in his hard-knuckle strategy highlights his determination to retain his title. What are your thoughts on Chael Sonnen’s warning to Tom Aspinall? Let us know in the comments below!